Baking Pumpkin Scones with Apple Pie

Perfect for fall, but a wonderful anytime treat, these maple pumpkin scones are slightly softer and cakier than a traditional scone due to the moisture of the pumpkin - with the added taste of spices, maple glaze, and apple pie preserves!

• Ingredients •

Maple Pumpkin Scones:

• 2¼ cups (337 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp (9 g) baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, cold
• ¾ cup (175 mL) pure pumpkin purée
• ½ cup (125 mL) maple syrup
• 1 large egg

Glaze:

• 1 cup (130 g) icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 2 Tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp (30 mL) water
• 1 Tbsp (15 g) unsalted butter, melted (still warm)

Apple Pie Preserves:

• 12 cooking apples
• 3 Tbsp (45 mL) lemon juice
• 2 cups (400 g) sugar
• 1 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1-inch fresh ginger, sliced
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground allspice

• Directions •

Scones:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Combine the dry ingredients. Stir the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and salt together in a mixing bowl. Use a box grater to grate in the cold butter. Use a pastry blender or two knives to work in the butter a little further, then switch to your hands, rubbing the mixture between your palms to flatten out the butter pieces. When you no longer feel round pieces of butter, you can stop.
3. Combine the liquids and add to the flour. Whisk the milk and egg together and add all at once to the flour. Stir until the liquid isn’t running but the dough still has not come together. Tip everything out onto a work surface and bring the dough together by flattening and folding the dough over itself, scooping up the rogue crumbs and flour and working them in as you flatten and fold (this action builds in flakiness).
4. Portion the scones. Divide the dough into two pieces and flatten each one with your hands to ¾ inch (2 cm) thick. Cut each piece of dough into six wedges. Place on the baking tray, leaving 2 inches (5 cm) between each scone.
5. Bake the scones for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown on the top and bottom. Let the scones cool for 30 minutes on the tray on a rack before glazing.
6. Make the glaze. Whisk the icing sugar, maple syrup, water and butter together to make a thick glaze that runs off your whisk in a slow stream. Use a pastry brush to glaze the scone all over (or use a whisk to drizzle it over the scones), then place on a rack to set for 30 minutes.
You can freeze unbaked scones, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking fresh the next day.
Preserves:
1. Toss the apples with lemon juice in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in the sugar, lemon zest, ginger and spices and simmer, stirring often, until the apples become translucent, about 20 minutes
3. Pack into sterilized jars, seal, and process according to safe canning procedures, or cool and store in jars refrigerated, for up to a month, or pack in freezer-safe containers and freeze up to a year.