Starbucks' Pumpkin Scones

Have y'all been to Starbucks and had their Pumpkin Scones?!  They're heavenly and with a Pumpkin Spice Latte (especially with Autumn's first sign of arrival), it's pumpkin overload, but in a good way!  A really good way!  I don't know if I've ever talked about my Starbucks craziness or my little method of how I choose my drinks from there, but I'll keep it short....

When it gets to be the time of year that Autumn is arriving, I always go for the Pumpkin Spice Latte (and sometimes treat myself to the decadent Pumpkin Scone or the low fat Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake, which is also scrumptious).  Then, as Fall moves out and Winter quickly approaches, my  mind goes directly to the Peppermint White Mocha, which is oh so good!  Any other time of the year, my go-to drink is just a regular White Mocha but when it's my favorite time(s) of the year, I splurge and get something special!

Sorry, I digress a little.  Back to the scones....I came across this recipe, I don't know, quite some time ago and had it bookmarked on my computer ever since.  I've made pumpkin scones before...remember these?  They were good, but nothing beats the ones from Starbucks.  There are so many copycat recipes out there (and I've tried a few), but they don't always meet your expectations of the real thing.  This recipe, however, was quite the opposite.  These scones turned out exactly like Starbucks' and the sugary white icing drizzled over them was the cherry on top...haha, get it?!

I actually made mini-scones because, along with the Cranberry Soda Bread with Lime Glaze and the Mini- Zucchini & Basil Quiches, I took these into work for Black Friday.  I figured it would be easy to grab a small one versus a much larger one and they went a lot further and saved me time from having to make duplicate batches of scones just to feed everyone!  They're great in the morning with coffee or tea and sometimes I even found myself snacking on them in the evening just to curb my sweet tooth!

Starbucks' Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients

2 cups Flour

7 Tbsp. Sugar

1 Tbsp. Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp. Salt

1/2 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1/2 Tsp. Nutmeg

1/2 cup Canned Pumpkin

3 Tbsp. Heavy Cream

1 Egg

6 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, cold and cubed

1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. Powdered Sugar

2 Tbsp. Milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, heavy cream, and egg.

Crumble the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles a coarse mixture.  Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. 

Using your hands, for the dough into a ball.  Pat the dough lightly onto a floured surface and form a 1-inch thick rectangle (9-inches long and 3-inches wide).  Using a large knife or pizza cutter, slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions.  Cut those pieces diagonally so that there are 6 triangles of dough (I took it even further to make smaller, mini-size pieces).

Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 14-16 minutes or until light brown; let cool completely.

To make the icing, combine the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl; mix well until no lumps are present.  Using a spoon, carefully drizzle the icing over the scones and let sit for at least 1 hour.

Yield: 6 Servings (full size)/24 Servings (mini)
Source: Adapted from The Nest

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Cranberry Soda Bread with Lime Glaze

I'm not a big "bread" person in terms of actually baking bread.  I don't know, it sort of scares me!  I've made homemade bread before and it always just turns out alright.  It's never anything special, but it's certainly not horrible either.  I've just always envisioned homemade bread as being really, really good.  And the times that I've had it, it is!  This is definitely a cooking hurdle I need to get over and I'm working on it. 

I think, more than anything, it's working with yeast that scares me.  Making bread can be a delicate process; there are a lot of steps in between to let the bread rise (sometimes more than once) and kneading it just so.  For one reason or another, mine usually comes out dry.

This recipe I actually consider a "cheater" recipe in that it doesn't utilize yeast.  It's quite simple and ends up coming out as a cross between a scone and biscotti.  It has a hard shell on the outside, but is rather dense on the inside.  I made this recipe for work on Black Friday.  I thought it would be a nice little "something" to help fill us up but also kill our sweet cravings!

The bread itself was pretty good, although it did seem a little dry (not too bad), but I might've overbaked it as well (again, if you've followed any of my other Turkey Day/Black Friday posts, you'll know that I had lots going on in the oven and some things ended up staying in there too long)!  And I missed a step in the process to help vent it and let steam escape during baking.  It certainly didn't ruin the flavor and the best part of this recipe is the lime glaze!  Holy smokes, people, I'm telling you that I could not keep my hands off of the glaze once I was done using it on the bread.  It was so good and just that hint of lime was really refreshing and such a nice complement to the somewhat sweet, yet somewhat tart cranberries in the bread.  It was a really  nice combination and if I make it again, I will definitely be sure not to overbake it!  I think this bread would be great for a bridal or baby shower of some sort or perhaps a brunch!

Cranberry Soda Bread with Lime Glaze

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups plus 1 Tbsp. Milk

1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

4 cups Flour

1 1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda

1 Tsp. Salt

3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, chilled and cubed

1 cup Dried Cranberries

1 Egg

1 cup Powdered Sugar

1 Lime, zested and juiced

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 1/3 cups milk and the lemon juice; let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.  Rub in the butter until coarse crumbs form.  Stir in the cranberries.

Beat the egg into the milk mixture and then add to the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until it just comes together.  Form the dough into an 8-inch round and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Using a knife, score an "X" 1/2-inch deep in the center.  Bake until golden and crusty (about 25-30 minutes).  Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lime zest, lime juice and the remaining tablespoon of milk.  Drizzle over the cooled bread and slice for serving.

Yield: 8-12 Servings

Source: Every Day with Rachael Ray

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Mini-Zucchini & Basil Quiche

We all know that Black Friday happens to be the craziest and busiest shopping day of the year.  I never, let me repeat, never go out that day! 

But unfortunately, my streak of not going out on Black Friday ended this year.  You see, I picked up a part-time job this Fall to help get me out of the house, meeting new people here and just having something to do.  That job happens to be in retail (one of my loves)!  I love shopping and I love working in retail so what better way to fill my days than doing something I love...not everyone gets that opportunity.

Back to Black Friday....so in all of the years I worked my hand in retail, I always lucked out and never had to work this dreaded day.  Until now.  We were open for 22 hours straight and I was scheduled from 11:45p-7:30a. 

So, Thanksgiving night, I had to go into work.  After spending all day in the kitchen.  After stuffing my face with food.  After all of that, I had to go into work waaaayyyy past my bedtime! 

Believe it or not, it was actually fun and not as bad as I thought!  I'm glad, though, that I was on the other side of the coin working the holiday as opposed to actually shopping it.  But all in all, I made it, I had fun and I made a little extra money!

Unfortunately, because we were open practically all day and really busy, we really didn't have the opportunity to get out for our breaks, so everyone was tasked with bringing in items to eat to help replenish and reboost our energy levels throughout the morning, day and night.  I decided to bring in a few different things: scones, soda bread and mini-quiches.  Oh my goodness, I cannot even begin to tell you how good these little quiches were!  I'm not normally a fan of egg-y type dishes, especially quiche, but these definitely changed my mind. 

The flavor combination of sweet basil and zucchini with tangy Parmesan cheese and light, fluffy eggs provided our mouths were the perfect bite of sweet, creamy and tangy goodness!  And they're crustless, which was really nice and convenient for popping in your mouth!  These were so good that Chris and I couldn't keep our hands off of them, so I had to make another batch to take into work that night!

Mini-Zucchini & Basil Quiche

Ingredients

1/4 cup Cornstarch

1 1/4 cup Milk

2 Eggs

2 Egg Yolks

1 cup Heavy Cream

3/4 Tsp. Salt

1/8 Tsp. Nutmeg

Cooking Spray

Olive Oil

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 Onion, diced finely

2 Zucchini, grated

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

Fresh Basil, chopped finely

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1/2 cup of milk until smooth.  Add in the whole eggs and egg yolks, whisking again, until smooth.  Gradually add in the remaining milk, cream, salt and nutmeg; whisk until combined.  Refrigerated until ready to use.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over med-high heat.  Add in the garlic and onion; saute until fragrant (about 2 minutes).  Add in the zucchini and cook until just softened (about 4 minutes).  Remove from heat.

Spray a mini-muffin tin with cooking spray.  Place a pinch of cheese in the bottom of each cup, topping it with a teaspoon helping of the zucchini mixture and a pinch of basil.  Pour a tablespoon helping of the egg mixture into each cup.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the quiches begin to puff up and turn golden brown.  Let cool for 10 minutes and carefully run a butter knife around the rim of each cup to gently lift each quiche out.

**These quiches freeze very well in a sealed Ziploc bag or resealable container.  If heating from frozen state, place them on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Yields: 48 Quiches
Source: Adapted from The Kitchn, originally adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones with Maple Glaze

Well hello there!  Long time no see, huh?!  Oh my goodness, I cannot believe that it's been several months since I've been on here!  I really had no intention of taking that long of a hiatus but it was very necessary and some much needed time off.  I hope you can understand. 

So much has happened in the last few months....we found out we were moving for Chris' job, we actually made the move to Atlanta (with several commutes back and forth to South Carolina and a month in temporary housing), we found a house and are still making progress on settling into it, and we got engaged!  Yep, Chris finally popped the question and I couldn't be more happy or more excited about how it all came together!  And oh my goodness, y'all, the ring he picked out is absolutely gorgeous!  He did such a good job and I'm so proud of him!

So, with the whirlwind of events taking place in our lives, the idea of cooking and baking was not very appealing to me!  And the idea of staging the food, taking pictures, writing up a post and then adding it to the blog was even more unappealing.  I temporarily lost my passion to have anything to do with the kitchen!  You would think that after eating out for over a month, I would've been excited to get in there and make a home cooked meal.  Well, I really wanted a home cooked meal, but I didn't want to make it!  But I finally got back in there and I finally got my drive back to start blogging my cooking adventures here again!  I'm really sorry to leave y'all hanging like that.

So without further ado, let me introduce to you this yummy Autumn-flavored Pumpkin Scone!  What better way is there than to get back into the swing of things with a tasty Fall treat?!  There isn't.  I know I said it last Fall year and I'm sayin' it again now....I LOVE PUMPKIN!  And this scone is such a nice addition to any Autumn breakfast, tea (or coffee) with friends or dessert after a nice warm meal.  It is so good and the addition of chocolate chips really balance out the pumpkin flavor.  I decided to add a drizzle of maple glaze on top to add just a touch of sweetness and boy, did it do the trick!  These are great little things you can quickly throw together for an unexpected guest or even to freeze for future use.  They've got substance to them and hold up nicely!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones with Maple Glaze

Ingredients - Scones
2 cups Flour

1/3 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 Tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 Tsp. Salt
8 Tbsp. cold, Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup Buttermilk
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree'
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Ingredients - Glaze
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
1 cup Powdered Sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add in the butter and stir with a fork to combine.  Using the fork or a pastry blender, but the butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs (the largest pieces of butter should be no larger than the size of a pea).  Add in the chocolate chips and mix to combine.

In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, pumpkin and vanilla; mix well.  Add into the dry ingredients and stir together gently just until the dough comes together.  **I found the dough to be quite sticky, so I kneaded it for a bit on a floured surface just to help it come together more.  Be careful, though, to not overwork the dough if you do this**


Move the dough to the prepared baking sheet and pat it out into a 9-inch round.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 22-25 minutes).  Allow it to cool and slice it into wedges.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the butter and maple syrup over medium heat until combined.  Gradually whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth.  Allow it to cool just enough to transfer to a pastry bag (or Ziploc bag with the tip slightly cut off) and drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones.

Yield: 8 Servings
Source: Scone recipe adapted from Annies Eats, originally from Joy of Baking and Maple Glaze recipe from Martha Stewart.

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Broiled Grapefruit

Confession: I'm not a huge fan of grapefruit. I want to like it and I've tried to like it, but for some reason, my taste buds won't allow me to get over the sour after-taste this popular fruit leaves in my mouth!

Grapefruit is really good for you, as most fruits are, but it aids the body in more ways than others. Did you know that it increases your metabolism, is low in sodium and pushes excess water out of your body, resulting in weight loss? In fact, there is even a diet out there consisting of eating just grapefruit! It's also rich in Licopene, aiding in the prevention of cancer. And last, but not least, it's a great source of Vitamin C, which can lead to radiant skin! Bonus!

Despite all of the wonderful things this pink fruit has to offer, it's definitely not on my weekly grocery list. But recently, Joy the Baker, posted about broiling grapefruit with a touch of brown sugar and ginger on top. She said it was "super delicious" and described it as "grapefruit creme brulee." It sounded really good and wanting to like love grapefruit like so many I know, I decided to give it a shot, hoping it would convert me!

It was good and I liked it. I didn't love it, but it was good and I've eaten it a couple of times since! I don't know if I'd go as far as putting it in the same category as creme brulee, but the sweetness of the brown sugar definitely helped in providing a solid contrast to the sourness I grew to despise!

Broiled Grapefruit

Ingredients
1 Grapefruit, sliced in half
3 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

Directions
Turn the broiler on. Place the grapefruit halves on a baking sheet, lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the sliced pieces, one tablespoon at a time. Note: Allow the brown sugar to dissolve into the juice and meat of the grapefruit before adding additional amounts.

Broil for 7-9 minutes, turning the pan half-way through. Note: While broiling, prop the open door open slightly to allow the fruit to broil evenly.

Yield: 1 Serving
Source: Adapted from Joy the Baker

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Baked Oatmeal

Let me first preface this by saying: please don't judge this dish by the picture!  It takes an ugly one and I tried to make it pretty to no avail.  Okay, moving on....

I don't know why, but I'm not much of a fan of oatmeal.  Not the kind you get out of a packet filled cinnamon and apples or a fruit and cream variety (those are actually good), but the real kind.  I think it's mostly because it's always bland to me and while most prefer brown sugar on theirs, I turn my head the other way. 

I really wish it didn't have to be this way because it's really good for you and promotes healthy weight loss.  I just can't do it.  Until today.....

I have been running across various recipes for oatmeal add-ins which I've definitely marked to try.  Things like fresh fruit, vanilla, different flavorings, etc.  All things in which I think I may be able to work with and have the gumption to actually eat it!  But when I came across this particular recipe, I knew I had to try it and had a good feeling it would be a nice way to break me into the world of real oatmeal.

It's packed with flavor and is sweet, but not too sweet and you're getting a good, healthy dose of fresh fruit in the morning, which I really love!  I think I could actually get used to this stuff and the best part yet: it's super versatile in that you can ultimately use just about any combination of fruit you'd like!  Who knows, I may get to the point where I'll want to take an even bigger plunge and try steel cut oats....we'll see though.  I'm not promising anything!

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients
3 cups Quick Cooking Oats
1/2 cup Applesauce
4 cups Milk
1 Egg
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 Pears, cored and chopped roughly
1 1/2 cups Strawberries, sliced

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine oats, applesauce, milk, egg, syrup, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla; mix well.  Fold in pears and strawberries.

Pour into a large baking dish and bake for 45 minutes.

Store any leftovers in the fridge and microwave to heat up.

Note: Frozen fruit may be used in place of the fresh and this dish may also be made up to 1 day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

Yield: 12 Servings
Source: Adapted from Proceed With Caution

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