Pumpkin Butterscotch Scones

I suppose one could argue that the beginning of spring is maybe not the ideal time to be making fall-ish treats. But my love for pumpkin is year-round, not seasonal. Once, maybe 5 years ago, every grocery store near my house was sold out of canned pumpkin. I spent an entire afternoon driving from one grocery store to the next in a vain search for pumpkin, and every single shelf was wiped clean of it. It was heartbreaking. Ever since the devastating missing pumpkin incident, in fear of not being able to find it when I’m craving pumpkin muffins or pancakes or pie, I have hoarded canned pumpkin, which comes in awfully handy when I feel like baking on a chilly morning and ooooh, doesn’t a pumpkin scone sound perfect?

I loved these scones—moist and cinnamon-y and delicious—and the butterscotch chips with the pumpkin were such a tasty combination. I can’t wait to make them again . . . which shouldn’t be a problem, given my hoarded stash of pumpkin.

 

Pumpkin Butterscotch Scones
adapted from Annie’s Eats

1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon sugar, if desired, for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Combine flours, brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment; whisk to mix. Add cubed butter and mix until butter pieces are pea-sized.

Switch to paddle attachment and add butterscotch chips, buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla. Mix just until combined.

With floured hands, plop dough onto prepared baking sheet and pat/press into a circle roughly 7-9 inches across. Use a knife or bread scraper to cut into 8 wedges, but don’t cut all the way through the dough. If you’d like a cinnamon sugar topping (and why wouldn’t you, really?) brush the top of the dough with an additional 1/2 tablespoon of buttermilk and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar. Bake in preheated oven 20-25 minutes. Let cool and cut the rest of the way through.