NICOLE PARTON’S FAVORITE RECIPES: Starbucks’ Glazed Pumpkin Scones

This recipe originates with the Starbucks’ worldwide chain of coffee shops. Although the recipe appears elsewhere on the Internet, Ron has doubled it and I’ve modified it. For yet another excellent modification of this recipe, see Deena’s Orange-Pumpkin Scones.

We both agree that if you’re going to go to all the work of making scones, you may as well make a dozen, rather than the handful the original recipe makes.

Starbucks ices its scones with a basic white glaze. Once this first glaze hardens, Starbucks drizzles a spiced glaze over top. This small amount of sweet topping adds a burst of flavor. If you prefer, serve these plain or with a little butter on the side. Perfectly spiced, they’re delicious warm or cold, and also freeze well. Thawing glazed or iced scones at room temperature - not in the microwave - preserves their showy appearance.

Starbucks’ Glazed Pumpkin Scones:

To Prepare the Scones:

4 c. (1 L) all-purpose flour

¾ c. + 2 tbsp. (215 mL) sugar

2 tbsp. (30 mL) baking powder

1 tsp. (5 mL) salt

1 tsp. (5 mL) cinnamon

1 tsp. (5 mL) nutmeg

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) cloves

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) ginger

¾ c. (185 mL) cold butter, cut into cubes

1 c. (250 mL) fresh or canned pumpkin (see Note)

¼ c. + 2 tbsp. (90 mL) half-and-half cream (12% fat content)

2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 425 deg. F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or electric mixer, add butter to the dry ingredients until mixture is finely crumbed. Do not over-mix. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half, and eggs, combining thoroughly. Make a well in dry ingredients, pouring in liquids and mixing just until moist. Form this soft dough into a ball, patting with floured hands onto a floured surface. Divide dough in half, gently rolling each into a circle 1-in. (2.54 cm) thick. Slice each circle of dough into six triangular slices. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 15-16 min., until pale brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes 12 scones.

Note: To make this recipe, Ron used pumpkin I’d steamed, cubed, puréed, and frozen last autumn. Because homemade puréed pumpkin tends to have a higher water content than commercially canned pumpkin, Ron floured his work surface and hands generously. He resisted the temptation to add more flour and mix the dough longer; this would have toughened the scones. Many varieties of pumpkin exist around the world. I prepared and froze what I consider the “standard” orange-fleshed, orange skinned North-American pumpkin. Ron and I haven’t tried to make this recipe with, say, Queensland blue pumpkin. I have a hunch this recipe wouldn’t work as well with that variety.

To Prepare Basic White Glaze:

2 c. (500 mL) icing (powdered or confectioners’) sugar

¼ c. (60 mL) milk

Combine sugar and milk until smooth. When scones are cool, brush glaze over tops of scones and allow to set.

To Prepare the Spiced Glaze:

2-⅓ c. (580 mL) icing (powdered or confectioners’) sugar

¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) cinnamon

¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) nutmeg

⅛ tsp. (0.63 mL) ginger

⅛ tsp. (0.63 mL) cloves

¼ c. (60 mL) whole milk

Combine dry ingredients, mixing well. Stir in milk. Using a small squirt bottle or disposable decorating bag with a medium-sized, round decorating tip, drizzle spiced icing over scone. Allow to set, approximately 1 hr.

(Postscript: When Ron made a second batch of these a couple of days later, he iced them with the recipes above, à la Starbucks. I must say, the bottom glaze and spiced drizzle topping are fantastic! Without question, these are the best scones I’ve ever tasted! That man’s baking is going to be my downfall. I need to start practicing girth control.)

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After Ron made these feather-light scones and I’d made a cream cheese glaze to drizzle over the tops, he gazed lovingly into my eyes. “You look good enough to eat!” he said. As I soon learned, I had icing in my hair.