Ahhh, autumn now nips the air and October waits just around the corner! For today's blog, I offer you my yummy Pumpkin Spicy Scones recipe. My route for remembering this scone recipe was crazily circuitous. Do forgive. I'm still ill and jet-lagged from my Istanbul trip. Yet I think you may find some humor in following the path that my feverish, Streptococcal-afflicted mind took.
On Twitter this morning, I discovered "Smarmy Clothes," which bills its clothing as "punk clothing with a squirt of subculture jawesomeness." (Too unhip to know what "jawesomeness" means, I had to look up the word in Urban Dictionary. "Jawesome" is an adjective denoting something that is more awesome than "awesome." One entry claimed that something must be at least 10 times more awesome than baseline awesomeness in order to meet "jawesomeness" level. Who knew?!)
On Twitter this morning, I discovered "Smarmy Clothes," which bills its clothing as "punk clothing with a squirt of subculture jawesomeness." (Too unhip to know what "jawesomeness" means, I had to look up the word in Urban Dictionary. "Jawesome" is an adjective denoting something that is more awesome than "awesome." One entry claimed that something must be at least 10 times more awesome than baseline awesomeness in order to meet "jawesomeness" level. Who knew?!)
| Anyway, Smarmy Clothes advertised this darling dress --> (Am I the only one who thinks low-heeled, chunky black pumps, a nice cardigan, and a string of pearls is just the thing for the outfit??) I have great admiration for small, independent clothing designers like Smarmy Clothes. I suspect that they work hard without the largest profit margins in the world and that designing is a labor of love. I like supporting such designers when possible. (If you wish to peruse more Smarmy Clothes designs, click HERE.) Thinking about clothing designers brought Sarah Jane Burton to mind because her name crops up in so many fashion articles I read. In case her name is not on your radar....she's the British designer who created Kate Middleton's wedding dress. In fact, Time magazine listed her this year as one of the world's 100 most influential people, and the Queen invested her with OBE status. Currently, she's the creative director for Alexander McQueen's women's line. |  |
 To visit Alexander McQueen's website, click HERE. | <--- Much to my surprise, when I navigated to Alexander McQueen's website (he's one of Britain's top designers, you surely know), I found his scarf selection and discovered these very delightful skeletal images. Yes, Halloween is upon us! Designers, high-end and low, are getting "gothy" on us! Very jawesome, right? |
All the skeletal clothing jogged my memory: My scone recipe! My "Pumpkin Spicy Scones" recipe! Without any further mental ramblings, I shall now share the recipe, which is perfect autumn fare for the Anglophile!
(I strongly suggest a simple, robust tea such as English Breakfast or Irish Breakfast with these scones.)
PUMPKIN SPICY SCONES (Makes 8)
INGREDIENTS
Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
optional: ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup dark raisins
1/3 cup walnut (or pecan) pieces
1/3 cup of buttermilk (can substitute heavy cream or regular milk)
½ cup fresh or canned pumpkin puree (if canned, use plain pumpkin—not pumpkin pie filling that has sugar and spices added)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Egg Wash Topping:
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Grease baking sheet
In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Chop butter into small pieces, then cut butter into flour mixture with two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins and nuts.
In separate bowl, mix together buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Blend this buttermilk mixture into flour mixture—stirring just until dough comes together.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead five times, then pat dough into about a 7-inch circle, ½-inch thick. Cut circle into 8 wedges, then place wedges on baking sheet. For Egg Wash Topping, whisk together egg and milk, then brush wedges with mixture.
Place baking sheet in middle of oven to prevent over-browning of scone bottoms. Bake 20 minutes or until nicely browned and toothpick inserted in middle of scones comes out clean.
Enjoy!
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(I strongly suggest a simple, robust tea such as English Breakfast or Irish Breakfast with these scones.)
PUMPKIN SPICY SCONES (Makes 8)
INGREDIENTS
Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
optional: ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup dark raisins
1/3 cup walnut (or pecan) pieces
1/3 cup of buttermilk (can substitute heavy cream or regular milk)
½ cup fresh or canned pumpkin puree (if canned, use plain pumpkin—not pumpkin pie filling that has sugar and spices added)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Egg Wash Topping:
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Grease baking sheet
In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Chop butter into small pieces, then cut butter into flour mixture with two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins and nuts.
In separate bowl, mix together buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Blend this buttermilk mixture into flour mixture—stirring just until dough comes together.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead five times, then pat dough into about a 7-inch circle, ½-inch thick. Cut circle into 8 wedges, then place wedges on baking sheet. For Egg Wash Topping, whisk together egg and milk, then brush wedges with mixture.
Place baking sheet in middle of oven to prevent over-browning of scone bottoms. Bake 20 minutes or until nicely browned and toothpick inserted in middle of scones comes out clean.
Enjoy!
************************************
Buy Baking Parchment Paper HERE
Go to: BRITISH FOOD
Go to: BRITISH DRINKS
Go to: BRITISH CLOTHING
Go to: BRITISH HOMES
Go to: HOMEPAGE
