Pecan Toffee Pumpkin Scones

Well, this week definitely felt like fall here in Vancouver all of a sudden. I mean, I have been in a fall kind of mood since the last week of August (waiting impatiently for it to come) – but this week it was definitely clear that the seasons have shifted.

All of a sudden the leaves on all of our beautiful Vancouver trees are afire with vibrant reds, yellows and oranges and there is an undeniable chill in the air. This week I officially said goodbye to leaving the house in the mornings without a jacket on, and last night was the first time I woke up feeling so chilly, that I actually couldn’t get back to sleep until I threw on a fuzzy sweater and added an extra little throw on top of my covers to get cozy.

I don’t know why, but there was something so special about that moment for me – about recognizing the official change in seasons I mean; it always brings back a flood of memories for me – especially in the Fall. I think because I have so many happy childhood memories that I accumulated around this time over the years…

Memories of weekends spent with my parents loading my three brothers and I into our GMC Safari Van for day trips to do things like visit the pumpkin patch; or go apple picking at the orchard; or have soccer games and picnics at the park; or walks around our favourite lake to feed the ducks and squirrels (even though you’re totally not supposed to feed them). Memories of coming home after school on chilly fall evenings to a warm house, and the smell of something delicious my mum was cooking on the stove; memories of peeling apples by her side for homemade apple crisps; memories of bundling up in cozy sweaters with my brothers to up to rake up the biggest leaf piles we could muster, and then jumping into them for hours, until it was dark outside and my mum finally lured us back inside for mugs of hot chocolate by the fire; memories of carving funny pumpkins with my dad; doing all kinds of festive fall crafts with my mom at our kitchen table; taking family pictures; Thanksgiving dinners spent joyfully crowded our tiny dining room table;  decorating the house for Halloween; dressing up in costumes; trick or treating followed by the annual block party, complete with fireworks, hot chocolate and homemade chocolate chip cookies put on my the loving mums and dads of all the kids on our street…

I am so lucky to have so many beautiful memories that go along with this glorious season; It truly makes me feel so grateful. This is a special time of year.

So in the spirit of being grateful, and hoping to maybe create some special moments for those around me this year, to be remembered years down the road; I was in the mood to bake up a batch of scones to bring into work the next morning for us to enjoy together with our morning coffees. And so these Pecan Toffee Pumpkin Scones were born.

I feel like if I was to be born a scone… I would be born as one of these Pecan Toffee Pumpkin Scones. Buttery scones loaded up with toasty pecans, bits of sweet toffee, and all the fall pumpkin spice flavours; they are literally made up of everything I love in this world.

And if you have never made scones before and are a little bit intimidated by the process – I have a super helpful Scone tutorial on my Instagram. Also, these are a drop scone, and as such are insanely easy to throw together. All you need is one bowl, and a spatula to whip these up. Plus, there is no folding – simply scoop them onto your pan and you’re good to go!

  

Pecan Toffee Pumpkin Scones with Maple Molasses Glaze

Things you need…
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup cold butter, cubed
3/4 cup pumpkin pure
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup toffee bits
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped (Optional)

Maple Molasses Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp molasses
3 tbsp pure maple syrup + more if needed

How to make…

Pumpkin Scones
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper – set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices – whisk to combine. Add the cubed butter to your bowl, and gently toss with the dry ingredients to coat all the cubes with floury mixture. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dry ingredients until pea sized portions remain. Add in the toasted pecans & toffee bits and toss to evenly distribute.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and using a spatula to gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry until a sticky and ragged dough starts to form. Just do your best not to overmix your batter – I generally stop once it has just come together and there are still some streaks of flour throughout. This is a drop scone, so there is no folding and the dough should be a bit more on the ragged moist side.

Use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon  to scoop out the scone dough – use a scoop that is anywhere from about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup, depending on how large you want your scones. I did heaping 1/2 cup portions here and got 10 scones total.

Scoop the scones onto prepared baking sheet and then set the pans in the freezer to flash freeze for 30 minutes. This will help your scones to hold their shape.

Once chilled brush the tops of the scones with melted butter and sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 18-24 minutes or until golden around the edges and the tops spring back to the touch. This will vary depending on the size of scone that you go for, so just be mindful, and use your discretion.

Remove from oven and allow to cool a couple of minutes; Meanwhile prepare your Glaze