Acorn Squash And Sage Scones
By Abigail García
Cool and breezy days are the best baking days for me. I just can’t resist to jump into my pantry and see what I have available to make a sweet or savory treat in the oven.
This time I had some acorn squash puree available and discovered an amazing recipe from Food52.com, so I decided to use my puree instead of the butternut squash the recipe calls for. It turned out delicious! The scones are soft and amazing for breakfast or as a snack! So you better try this one soon! Enjoy!
Cooking Time: 30 min
Preparation Time: 25 min
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top of scones
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage (optional)
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup acorn squash puree (see below for directions)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing on top of scones
- 1 large egg
- 8 small sage leaves
- Cinnamon drizzle, optional (see below for directions)
Directions:
For the Acorn Squash:
Preheat oven to 400ºF
- Cut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise, from stem to end. Scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff inside. Score the insides of each half several times with a sharp knife. Place each half in a baking pan, cut side up. Add about a 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the baking pan so that the skins don’t burn and the squash doesn’t get dried out. Coat the inside of each half with 1/2 a Tbsp of butter.
- Bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the squash is very soft and the tops are browned. Do not undercook. When finished, remove from oven and let cool a little.
- Scoop out the soft squash, mash it a bit, and place in a mesh strainer over a bowl. Let drain for a couple hours, or overnight.
To Make the Dough:
- Place the dry ingredients and the chopped sage in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse about 10 or so times. You want to retain some small pieces of butter.
- Transfer the flour mixture to a large mixing bowl. If you’ve got some really large butter lumps, just squish them with the back of a fork.
- In a large measuring cup, place the squash, egg and heavy cream (I used regular milk to reduce fat and calories). Mix well. Pour into flour mixture. With a dinner fork, fold the wet into the dry as you gradually turn the bowl. When dough begins to gather, use a plastic bowl scraper to gently knead the dough into a ball shape.
- Transfer the dough ball to a floured board. Gently pat into a 6” circle. With a pastry scraper or large chef’s knife, cut into 8 triangles.
- OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED: Place the scones on a wax paper-lined sheet pan and freeze until solid. Once they are frozen, you can store them in a plastic freezer bag for several weeks.
- Preheat oven to 425º F
- Place frozen scones on a parchment-lined sheet pan, about 1 inch apart. Brush with cream. Take the whole sage leaves, brush front and back with cream and place on tops of scones. Sprinkle tops of scones with sugar.
- Bake for about 20 – 25 minutes, turning pan halfway through. They are done when a wooden skewer comes out clean. When cool, drizzle with cinnamon glaze.
For the Cinnamon Drizzle:
- Mix 1cup confectioner’s sugar with ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Add 2 tablespoons warm water. Stir until smooth. If it’s too loose, add more sugar. If too thick, add more water. If not cinnamon-y enough, add more cinnamon. It should be thick like corn syrup.
