Fall's Best Scone Recipe - Scones Studded with Pumpkin Pie Spice Chips

Last week, I took a Facebook poll asking whether you preferred scones or cookies.  I thought the odds were in the cookies' favor.  Surprisingly, that wasn't the case.  More than half of you told me you wanted scones!  I aim to please (except when I'm making things like Cupcakewurst), so I present you with my new favorite scones for Fall.

This scone recipe is based off a five star Ina Garten cranberry orange scone recipe (so you know it's going to be good), but I've removed the cranberry and orange and instead added a touch of vanilla and homemade pumpkin pie spice chips.  I've also changed the scones' preparation.  Instead of going rogue and forming the dough on a baking sheet as Ina Garten does, I made mine in a scone pan.  (I know.  I know.   A scone pan is one more specialty pan to clutter your shelves.  You don't need to use one, but owning a scone pan makes it so simple to achieve perfect looking scones - and it can do double-duty as a cornbread pan.)

How to Make Scones with Pumpkin Pie Spice Chips

As stated above, this scone recipe is slightly adapted from Ina Garten's recipe.  Here is my version:

Yield: 8 scones

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold
• 2 extra large eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup homemade pumpkin pie spice chips (you could also use store-bought cinnamon chips)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
3. Cut butter into small pieces and mix into dry ingredients.  Mix until butter looks pea-sized.
4. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla.
5. Slowly mix the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined - it will be lumpy.
6. Use your hands to gently fold in the pumpkin pie spice chips.  
7. Divide batter evenly between each section of a scone pan.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are slightly browned.

Scone Cupcakes from the Archives

Back in 2009, I baked Ina Garten's scone recipe in cupcake form and in little tea cups.  Have a look!  If you prefer, you could bake these pumpkin pie spice chip scones as cupcakes as well following the guidelines found in that post.