my.requiescence.

Over a Year Tumblrversary and Pumpkin Scones

Wow, November totally flew by, didn’t it?

It began deceivingly leisurely: I was enjoying the warmer-than-usual Boston November weather and lab had slowed to a more bearable pace as we prepared for and moved our entire lab to a brand spanking new building. Then suddenly I was on a California-bound plane to visit family and friends for Thanksgiving where I stuffed my face for a week straight (which is quite amazing considering I didn’t cook/bake ONE THING that I ate that week). We also managed to squeeze in a beautiful day in Napa, enjoying the crisp fall air and the colors, sampling wines, and AMAZING food.

last grapes in Napa…

Dear oversized pistachio macaron from Bouchon Bakery… will you marry me?

And now I feel as if I’ve been hurtled into the heart of December: bitingly cold weather that makes your eyes tear (it may be in part because I’m mourning the loss of the ability to wear tank tops and flats without socks for the next 6 months) and forecasts of snow (though have yet to see a snowflake), the unrelenting barrage of Christmas-mania (Christmas songs on the radio, the onslaught of online and in-store sales which only tempt me to buy more for myself instead of gifts for others, and Christmas decorations ad nauseum- which, I actually kind of love), and the inter-holiday slump where you are still slightly food comatose from Thanksgiving and can’t get yourself motivated to be productive at work because your brain is already on vacation, celebrating a birthday and Christmas. WHEW.

It’s no Rockefeller Center, but I am sort of proud of this slightly ghetto yet extremely fitting demonstration of Central Square Christmas spirit.

Christmas spirit is alive and well in lab as well. And that’s not a reflection of the tree, WE HAVE TWO. Heck yeah.

I am still a bit sad about how quickly November passed; it is one of my favorite months, mostly because it seems (to me anyway) that the whole point of the month is the anticipation of and preparation for the greatest holiday ever- a holiday who’s singular objective is to EAT. Where the quantity ingested is directly proportional to the amount of THANKS given. And I don’t want to seem ungrateful for the hardships endured by the Pilgrims and Native Americans, so yes, I will have some more turkey and pie! I LOVE spending the first weeks of November poring over delectable recipes for appetizers, turkeys, stuffing, and pumpkin-based desserts in magazines and online, while watching Thanksgiving-themed episodes on the Food Network, and finally picking a handful of recipes to test in the kitchen to share with friends in Boston who are also avoiding the hectic holiday travel, or, like last year, an intimate dinner for two. But because this year we spent Thanksgiving in California, eating TWO amazing Thanksgiving meals (late lunch and dinner), and because I didn’t have the wherewithal to prepare a pre-Thanksgiving meal for ourselves here in Boston before we left, I feel like I missed out a special part of November!

Another momentous occasion that passed without much fanfare here was my tumblr’s first-versary! I started this little space to document my triumphs (and failures) in the kitchen so I could easily go back to recipes that worked and that we loved. It enabled me to learn how to (kind of) use a SLR camera, gave me an outlet to express myself and my randomness, and, most importantly, has provided a constant reminder that I DO have a life outside of graduate school that I love and enjoy, and no matter what goes on in lab, I will always have this.

I had always envisioned baking up something complicated and decadent to celebrate my first year in keeping up a blog, something that required a few pounds of expensive chocolate or a multi-step endeavor like home-made croissants or macarons. However, seeing as November was on fast forward and the tumblrversary date was almost 2 weeks and counting ago, I decided to just make something simple, something that I love to eat, and in a flavor that epitomizes the November and Thanksgiving that had passed me by all too quickly.

Pumpkin Scones. With Maple glaze.

Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze
adapted from Seven Spoons

I liked these scones, but if I were to make them again, I would makes some changes: I’d up the amount of pumpkin, up the amount of spice, and reduce the amount of butter. The scones are a bit more on the cakey side, like happy muffin tops actually, which is good, but I prefer my scones a little less cakey. But all in all, happy with home-made pumpkin scones!

Makes 24 medium scones.
(I halved the recipe for 8 scones)

2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1 cup (1/2 pound, 2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, diced
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin purée (unsweetened)
2/3 cup 18% (table, coffee) cream, chilled
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of milk or cream, for egg wash
Granulated or sanding sugar, for garnish

 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Use parchment paper to line a standard baking sheet and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. On the machine’s lowest setting, cut in the chilled butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. The butter should be in small pieces approximately the size of peas. (I used a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture.)
3. Lightly whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée and cream. With the machine running still on low (or stir), pour the liquids slowly into the flour and butter mixture, stirring until just combined. Small bits of butter should still be visible, but almost all the flour should be incorporated.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Working quickly, gently knead the dough, folding and pressing gently until fairly smooth. Divide the dough into four, and shape each ball of dough into a 4” round about 3/4”-1” thick. Cut each round into six wedges, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Once finished, brush each scone with the egg wash and sprinkle with granulated or sanding sugar.
5. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the the tops are lightly golden and the cut sides look flaky and dry. When fully cooked, they should feel light for their size and sound almost hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes. (Glaze, if desired.) Best served warm.

Maple Glaze
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Mix sugar into syrup until thick consistency. Drizzle over or spread onto cooled scones.