Not being a huge fan of pumpkin, it’s fairly easy for me not to get swept up in the pumpkin spice frenzy that pops up in every bakery and coffee shop in autumn – except when it comes to pumpkin scones. I have a weakness for breakfast pastries anyway, but pumpkin scones are often glazed, which makes them damn near irresistible. I never considered baking them at home though, until I needed a way to use up leftover pumpkin puree after making pumpkin bread. My version includes chai spice in both the scones themselves and the glaze because I can’t resist putting my favorite flavor into practically everything I bake.

INGREDIENTS
SCONES
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons half-and-half
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon chai spice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced

CHAI GLAZE
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon chai spice

TOOLS
medium (3-quart) mixing bowl
measuring cups and spoons
mixing spatula
large (5-quart) mixing bowl
electric mixer
cutting board, dusted with flour
large knife, dusted with flour
quarter (9” x 13”) sheet pan, lined with baking mat
cooling rack
small (1 1/2-quart) mixing bowl

METHOD
1. Set oven to 425 degrees. In medium bowl, beat egg, then add pumpkin and half-and half with mixing spatula. Set aside.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, chai spice, and salt in large bowl. With mixer on medium-low speed, beat in butter until mixture is crumbly.
3. Add pumpkin mixture and beat until just blended.
4. Transfer dough onto floured cutting board. Flip dough once, so that the top has a dusting of flour. Pat down and shape into a circle, about 1-inch thick.
5. With floured knife, divide dough by cutting into quarters and then cut each quarter in half to create 8 even slices.
6. Transfer slices to lined pan and bake until lightly browned — about 16 minutes.
7. Transfer scones to rack and let cool.
8. Combine CHAI GLAZE ingredients in small bowl and stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over top of cooled scones. Allow glaze time to dry before serving.

NOTES & TIPS
• If using the ubiquitous 15-oz can of pumpkin puree found in nearly every supermarket, double this recipe to use up the entire can. Or try making Chai Spice Pumpkin Bread with the remainder.
• I use kosher salt in all my cooking, and baking is no exception. Some larger granules never fully dissolve by the end, which gives my baked treats a sometimes surprising, but always subtle, salty-sweet flavor. I enjoy this little twist, but if you do not, simply replace kosher salt with table salt in the recipe above.
• If flour won’t stick to knife, lightly dampen knife first.
• Size Reference: Your thumb (from tip to first knuckle) is about 1-inch long.
• When the scones first come out of the oven, the centers may look slightly underdone, but they will finish cooking through as the scones begin to cool.

READY IN
1 hour 30 minutes
(35 minutes to prep and bake, 35 minutes to cool, 20 minutes for glaze to set)

YIELD
8 scones