Pumpkin Week - Pumpkin Scones

And so endeth Pumpkin Week. *Cue sad violin*

I have been so inspired and hungry from all the delicious pumpkin recipes this week. They really ran the course - from breakfast with Kirsten's Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, to dinner with Shanna's Pumpkin Risotto, to all manner of desserts and sweets including Mads' Pumpkin Spice Cake and Carrie's Pumpkin Pie Macarons. Be sure to check out the fill list below! I have been so inspired by pumpkin this week, that I've gone out and bought WAY too much pumpkin and now I'm going to have to eat it all. Oh darn. Woops? Can't wait!

To the scones... I was slow on the scone train. They just seemed so boring to me. And, for some reason, I always thought they were terribly complicated. I don't know where I got this impression. I made this batch of scones while having an indepth discussion with my mom about birthing plans. Not my birthing plan - I have nothing to birth right now. This is how rumors get started. About HER plans, from *mumble mumble* years ago. Never mind. If I can assemble while contributing and getting mildly horrified about all the creams that accompany pre and post-birthing side effects, then it is a terribly EASY recipe.

I really didn't think that scones had much taste when I first tried them. They were bricks. Dense. Not much flavor to speak of. Really just a way to get butter and jam into your mouth. But isn't that why we have biscuits? Plus biscuits are moister... right?

Turns out I was eating all the wrong scones. These scones, by Surly Kitchen, and inspired by the great and powerful Starbucks Pumpkin Scones, are tender, and flavorful, and like all things that pumpkin touches, are very moist. That's right, Megan. Moist. These scones are moist. One more time for Megan: MOIST. And just good. Good with butter. Good with Jeanne's Cinnamon Honey Butter. Good devonshire cream. Good with spiced icing. Dipped in coffee. Dipped in leftover donut frosting. Good in your mouth.

Check out all the great posts from this week!
Monday: Kirsten from Comfortably Domestic makes Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
I made Struesel topped Pumpkin Bread

Tuesday: Jeanne from Inside Nana Bread's Head makes Pumpkin Waffles
Carrie from Bakeaholic Mama makes Pumpkin Pie Macarons

Wednesday: Megan from Wanna Be a County Cleaver makes Pumpkin Cheesecake
Allison from Decadent Philistines Take Over The World makes Pumpkin Marshmallows
Shanna from Pineapple and Coconut makes Pumpkin Risotto

Thursday: Anne from From My Sweet Heart makes Pumpkin Donuts
Kat from Tenaciously Yours makes Marbled Gingersnap Tart
Mads from La Petite Pancake makes Pumpkin Spice Cake with Frosting

Friday: Madeline from Munching in the Mitten makes Savory Pumpkin Tart
Lauren from Climbing Grier Mountain makes Pumpkin Mousse
Kirsten from Comfortably Domestic makes Pumpkin Kiss Cookies

Saturday: Monica from The Grommom makes Pumpkin Ice Cream

Pumpkin Scones
Makes 12

Adapted from Surly Kitchen's Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Scones

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
6 Tbl cold butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)
3 Tbl buttermilk
1 large egg

1. Preheat the oven to 375*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Whisk together.
3. Add the cut butter into the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture is a coarse texture throughout.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients.
5. Fold the wet ingredients into the butter and dry mixture.
6. As the dough forms a ball, turn it onto a floured surface. Fold the dough on itself two or three times. Pat into a large rectangle about 1" thick. (I didn't measure mine, but Surly says hers was about 7" x 11" in size).
7. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough in half the long way (hot dog). Cut the dough into thirds along the long side (hamburger?). You should have six triangles. Cut these diagonally.
8. Place the 12 scones on the baking sheet. Try not to have them touch or crowd, but they shouldn't expand too much during baking.
9. Bake for 20 - 22 minutes, or until just starting to brown on top and corners.
10. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Optional Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 scant tsp vanilla extract
About 3 Tbl Soy Milk

1. Mix together. Drizzle lazily over the scones.

Pumpkin Week - Streusel Topped Pumpkin Loaf

Blah, blah, I love fall, blah blah blah. So does everyone else. Here's some math (I love math) - fall is the favorite season of 1/3 of Americans. With 4 seasons, that's statistically significant. Trust me - I'm a scientist.

Is anyone still reading this? Nothing says "Hook 'em" like a math opener. Let's start over.

IT'S PUMPKIN WEEK!

I do like fall. Just not in the Northwest. The rain has started. The rain is here to stay. The rain will continue, practically non-stop until May. What MOST people love about fall is the same sort of list that I used to have about fall in Denver. The bite of the first frost. The cooler days. The rainbow of leaf colors, with the still-green-grass, against the back drop of clear blue sky. A last chance to get outside and enjoy the weather before winter hits. Maybe the first snow. Pumpkin spice lattes blowing up my news feed.

Very few of these things overlap with Pacific Northwest falls. Except for the Pumpkin Spice Lattes (OMG, we get it, okay?). Another thing the PNW brings for fall is spider. Oh. Em. Gee. The spiders. They are EVERYWHERE. I honestly do not remember that the spiders were this bad here last year. And two years ago, we were in an apartment building with indoor entryways. Hardly any spiders there. Oh, those were the days. But now, on the ground level, surrounded by trees, and with lots of windows, I'm constantly afraid. And just when I let my guard down... BOOM! That black thread is actually a beast.

ANYWAY. Aside from fear, fall for me is about baking. Since I can't go outside and enjoy the color like everyone else, my weekends are full of fires, open blinds (to see the color), and a cranked oven. Recently, I cranked out this pumpkin loaf that I found online. It is so insanely good. It is so moist and crumbly that it goes down just a little too easily. Lots of pumpkin, just a bit of crunch on top, and just a hint of sweet. For something a little richer, it's great with butter, left over cream cheese frosting, or even a little Greek yogurt. I can easily see keeping a loaf of this on hand in the freezer for emergency cravings.

Before you get too far ahead, be sure to check out some of the other Pumpkin Week Specials!
Monday: Kirsten from Comfortably Domestic makes Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Tuesday: Jeanne from Inside Nana Bread's Head makes Pumpkin Waffles
Carrie from Bakeaholic Mama makes Pumpkin Pie Macarons

Wednesday: Megan from Wanna Be a County Cleaver makes Pumpkin Cheesecake
Allison from Decadent Philistines Take Over The World makes Pumpkin Marshmallows
Shanna from Pineapple and Coconut makes Pumpkin Risotto

Thursday: Anne from From My Sweet Heart makes Pumpkin Donuts
Kat from Tenaciously Yours makes Marbled Gingersnap Tart
Mads from La Petite Pancake makes Pumpkin Spice Cake with Frosting

Friday: Madeline from Munching in the Mitten makes Savory Pumpkin Tart
Lauren from Climbing Grier Mountain makes Pumpkin Mousse
Kirsten from Comfortably Domestic makes Pumpkin Kiss Cookies

Saturday: Monica from The Grommom makes Pumpkin Ice Cream
I'm back with Pumpkin Scones

Pumpkin Streusel Bread
Adapted from Mommy, I'm Hungry

Batter:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup canned pureed pumpkin (not pre-seasoned pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk

Topping:
2/3 cup plus 2 Tbl rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
6 Tbl butter

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. Grease two loaf pans (or a 9x9 pan) and line with parchment paper.
3. To make the topping, combine 2/3 cup oats, flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor. Add butter and cut it just until crumbly. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Stir in remaining oats. Set aside.
4. Whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
5. In the bowl of a mixer, but the butter until smooth. Add in the sugar and whip until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Scrape in between additions, and stir until well-combined.
6. Add the pumpkin and vanilla extract to the butter mixture.
7. Gradually add the dry ingredients. Slowly add the milk. Transfer the batter to the pans. Spread the topping gently and evenly between the pans.
8. Bake the loaves for about 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. If baking two, rotate halfway through.
9. Allow to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely.
10. Omnomnom