What's the difference between British Scones and American Scones?

Traditional British scones have flour, a little touch of sugar, baking powder, butter, milk or cream, seldom an egg, and perhaps currants or raisins. The scones in England are generally served hot. The Brits cut them and spread with butter or clotted cream, and jam or fruit spread. American scones are much sweeter, bigger, with spices like cinnamon, and moister than the British recipe. But, the American version is still flaky because we add more butter. The American scones can be eaten without adding a spread or any other topping.

Cherry Pumpkin Scones recipe with Blood Orange Maple Glaze

Description

This fall-inspired Pumpkin Scone recipe is elevated with sweet & tart dried cherries. These scones are moist, soft but still slightly crumbly, and drizzled with a sweet and citrusy glaze made with blood orange and bourbon-infused maple syrup. The final touch is a sprinkle of roasted spiced pumpkin seeds.

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Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Scones:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup cut-up butter
1 cup dried cherries
1 lightly-beaten egg
6 Tablespoons buttermilk, plus more for brushing
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon raw cane turbinado sugar or any kind of sugar

For the Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated blood orange peel
2 Tablespoons blood orange juice
4 Tablespoons Vermont Organic Maple Syrup
[for alternative glaze, use regular orange juice, orange peel, and omit the syrup]

For the Topping of Maple Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas):

2 Tablespoons Vermont Organic Maple Syrup
1/2 cup salted & toasted pepitas

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Instructions

The day before:

Mix: In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
Blend: Using a pastry blender, cut in the 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add dried cherries and toss well. Set aside.
Mix: In a small bowl, stir together the egg, buttermilk, vanilla paste and pumpkin.
Add the pumpkin mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Using a spatula, stir just until combined.
Knead: Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing it for 10 strokes or until dough comes together and is smooth. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic and keep it in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Roll the dough on a floured pastry board into an 8-inch wide and 1½”-thick circle. Cut into 8 wedges.
Place scones on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Brush scones with buttermilk and sprinkle with raw cane turbinado brown sugar.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Insert a toothpick into the center, and if it comes out clean with no wet crumbs, they are ready.
Remove scones from baking sheet. Let cool for 5 minutes before spreading with glaze.

For the glaze:

Mix: In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, maple syrup, blood orange peel, and the blood orange juice until well combined.
- For alternative glaze, omit the maple syrup if you don't have this ingredient, and you can also use regular orange juice and orange peal.
Spoon glaze over warm scones, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with some of the maple pepitas and, if desired, additional blood orange peel. Serve warm.

Maple Toasted Pepitas:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a small baking pan with parchment paper; set aside.
Mix: In a small bowl combine maple syrup & salted & toasted pepitas; mix well to combine.
Spread the mixture in the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until light brown and crisp, stirring every few minutes.
Let cool on baking sheet. Makes about 1 cup.

Notes

TIP: I freeze the pastry cutter and bowl to help the butter to stay cold.
Store remaining Cherry Pumpkin Scones in an airtight container for up to two days (if you don’t eat them by then).
You can make the Maple Pepitas the day before also
Store remaining pepitas in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Use maple pepitas on cheesecake, muffins, salads, or just to snack on.
Turbinado Sugar- options alternatives

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Breakfast
Method: baking
Cuisine: British / American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 scone
Calories: 531
Sugar: 54.2 g
Sodium: 270.1 mg
Fat: 16.4 g
Carbohydrates: 90.2 g
Fiber: 2.7 g
Protein: 8 g
Cholesterol: 50.8 mg