Perfect Pumpkin Scones

Dry ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg or mace
1/4 tsp ground clove
butter

1/2 cup salted butter, cold, diced

Wet ingredients

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1/3 cup buttermilk I recommend cultured butermilk from the dairy case. I don't recommend diy buttermilk for these scones. If you don't have buttermilk use cream.
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1-2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put all the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse several times to combine.

Add the chilled butter and pulse until the mixture becomes coarsely crumbled and the butter is well distributed, about 20-25 pulses.

Whisk together the wet ingredients. While pulsing the machine, pour in the liquid and process just until the dough comes together. It will look shaggy.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and bring it together into a 6 inch disk with floured hands. Cut the disk into 6 triangles, and place the scones on your parchment lined baking sheet.

Cover loosely with plastic and put the baking sheet with scones into the freezer for 10 minutes.

Bake 18-20 minutes, until scones are risen and just turning golden, don't over-bake.

Let cool on a rack before glazing.

Whisk together the glaze ingredients and adjust the consistency if you need to by adding more milk or more sugar. Spread it over the cooled scones and top with toasted pecans.

Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scone

 

DRY INGREDIENTS

2 cups all purpose flour, (fluff the flour before scooping and leveling)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1 cup milk chocolate chips

WET INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup natural style creamy peanut butter

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade and pulse to combine.

Add the pieces of cold butter and pulse about 25-30 times to get the butter really incorporated in small bits. The mixture will be sandy.

Measure out the heavy cream in a glass measuring cup and then pour in the peanut butter to make 1 cup.

Add the wet ingredients to the processor and pulse/process just until the dough comes together in a lump or lumps.

Turn out into a bowl and fold in the chocolate chips, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a smooth 7-8 inch disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for an hour to an hour and a half.

Preheat the oven to 400F

Slice the chilled dough into 8 scones with a large, sharp knife, and place on the baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between scones. Bake for about 15 minutes until the scones are firm and baked through. Look closely at the cracks in the top of the scone, if they look wet inside, bake a little longer. Don’t over bake. Note: you can place the scones closer together in a ring shape if you like the sides to cook into each other, pull-apart style…this makes a softer scone.
Let cool on a rack for a bit before devouring.

Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Cake

 

1 cup granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cultured buttermilk
2 cups fresh blueberries


Preheat oven to 350F. 

Lightly grease and line a 9x9 inch square pan with parchment paper.

First make the lemon sugar. Put the sugar and lemon zest into a food processor and process until the zest is completely incorporated in to the sugar and it's pale yellow and fragrant. If you don't have a processor, just finely grate the zest and mix it into the sugar.

Cream the sugar and butter together until pale and fluffy, I like to go for a full 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary. I do this in a stand mixer.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat each one well, and scrape down that bowl. Blend in the vanilla.

Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.

Take about a tablespoon of the flour mixture and toss with the blueberries. Then add the rest to the mixer and blend until almost incorporated. Then blend in the buttermilk, just until everything is mixed, but don't over do it. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Spoon the dough (it will be thick) into the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Sprinkle some sparkling sugar over the surface if you're using. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it. I like to loosely cover the cake toward the end of baking to keep it from browning too much.

Shamrock Smoothie

 

Overnight oats

½ cup old fashioned rolled oats, you can also use gluten free oats
½ cup milk, any milk, including skim, soy, almond, etc.
¼ cup plain yogurt

Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon honey, or to taste 
1 tablespoon chia seeds
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Diced or sliced fresh Fruit, for garnish, optional
Chopped nuts, for garnish, optional
Coconut shavings, for garnish, optional

Instructions

Add oats, milk, yogurt, salt, and honey to a glass container, glass jar, or a cereal bowl.
Stir in chia seeds, vanilla (and dissolving mix-ins such as cocoa powder, if using).
You can also stir in Nutella or peanut butter, or wait to add those right before serving. However, If using berries, nuts, and other toppings that will get soggy, don’t add them until the next day, right before serving.
Cover the oats and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Uncover; if oatmeal is too thick, thin out with more milk.
Top with fruits, nuts, coconut shavings

Berry Oatmeal Variation: Add ½ cup fresh berries right before serving, and top with chopped nuts, if desired.

Chocolate Oatmeal Variation: Stir in 2 teaspoons cocoa powder.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Variation: Stir in 1 tablespoon smooth natural peanut butter right before serving.

Nutella Oatmeal Variation: Stir in 1 tablespoon Nutella right before serving.

Banana Bread Oatmeal Variation: Just before serving, stir a pinch of cinnamon into the oats, and top with sliced or chopped banana and chopped pecans or walnuts.

Starbucks Pumpkin Pound Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Ground Cloves
1/4 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1 1/2 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Fat Free VanillaYogurt
3 Egg Whites
1 c. Canned Pumpkin

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º. 

Grease a loaf pan, set aside.
Sift the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, and nutmeg, into a mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, yogurt, and egg whites. Whisk thoroughly until blended. Stir in the pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Stir until completely incorporated.

Pour into pan and bake for 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let cool on a wire rack. 

Starbucks pumpkin scones

Ingredients:

For the Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg
For the Powdered Sugar Glaze:
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk

For the Spiced Glaze:
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with fit the paddle attachment, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Add the butter and toss with a fork to coat with the flour mixture. Mix on medium-low speed until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with the butter pieces no larger than small peas.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, half-and-half and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, and form the dough into a ball. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a 1-inch thick rectangle about 4 inches by 12 inches. Use a large knife to slice the dough making three equal portions. Cut each of the portions in an X pattern (four pieces) so you end up with 12 triangular slices of dough. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.

While the scones are cooling, make the powdered sugar glaze by mixing the powdered sugar and milk together until smooth. When scones are cool, use a pastry brush to spread plain glaze over the top of each scone. Allow to firm.

While the powdered sugar glaze is firming, combine all of the ingredients for the spiced glaze. Drizzle over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (about an hour).

Recipe Note: you can freeze unbaked scones and enjoy hot from the oven scones any day of the week. Just freeze on a baking sheet until firm, tightly wrap in plastic wrap and place in a ziploc freezer bag. When ready to bake just pop into the oven straight from the freezer, no need to thaw. Just add a few more minutes to the baking time.