Molasses Pumpkin Spice Scones

These scones are light and fluffy despite the quite noticeable flavour of the molasses and the plethora of familiar pumpkin spices. With a warming combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves, Molasses Pumpkin Spice Scones are sure to wake up your taste buds!

As soon as September rolls around, I begin to crave scones like they’re going out of style!  And, if you’ve been reading recipes from Lord Byron’s Kitchen for any amount of time, you might remember reading that I love anything prepared with warming spices and sweet molasses, which is why today I’m focusing on these Molasses Pumpkin Spice Scones. I fix myself a very hot cup of coffee, slice my scone down the middle, and liberally smear on some butter. If we happen to still have nice weather in September, I’ll take my coffee and scone to our backyard deck and enjoy the peacefulness while indulging in an afternoon treat.

This time of year brings with it comfort, not only in terms of outdoor temperatures, but also in terms of more clothing options.  I, for one, love to wear sweaters, coats, and long pants.  I love mittens and scarfs – but, not hats!  Oftentimes, I skip the scarf too, but I always skip the hat! I hate wearing hats, because I’m one of those guys that will style my hair every single day.  Bad or not, I’m not covering it up with a hat no matter how cold it can be outside!

Another comfort associated with fall and winter is staying home more.  There are usually new seasons of your favourite television shows; there is the comforts of new decor for your home, and we can’t forget the addition of more blankets to our beds!  That, in itself is just glorious to me!

And, in typical foodie fashion, fall and winter comfort also brings with it the best foods and recipes.  I love to cook and bake, so when the colder temperatures set in, I’m excited to turn on my oven and bake treats that are warm and comforting!

WELCOME TO A LORD BYRON CHRISTMAS!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the holiday-themed recipes! Over the past decade, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

This particular recipe is the first recipe in my first holiday series for this year. So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Pumpkin Recipes Series. Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW AND NEVER MISS ANOTHER RECIPE!

Traditionally, every year I share a series of recipes that you might already be familiar with. For example, I’ve previously shared 12 Holiday Trifles, 12 Holiday Bars & Squares, and even these 12 Edible Holiday Wreath recipes! Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! And, just in case you’re curious, you can see previous annual posts for my 24 Cookies of Christmas Series here!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Flour – Any all-purpose flour will do just fine. I have not tested this recipe with any other types of flour.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda
• Brown Sugar
• Salt
• Pumpkin Spice – This is a blend of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.  Depending on the brand, allspice is sometimes absent, but I think the flavour is better with it. I have a homemade version that I use for everything. You can find it here.
• Egg – Just one egg, but if you want a more golden, brown top, whisk one egg yolk with a tablespoon of water. Brush the tops with a pastry brush before baking.
• Butter – I used salted butter. If you’re using salted butter as well, do not add the 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the flour mixture.
• Sour Cream – Use reduced fat sour cream – 5% if you can get it. A thinner sour cream works best in this recipe.
• Molasses – See the notes about molasses below.
• Coarse Sugar – Also known as sanding sugar. I sprinkle this on top of each scone before baking. It adds a bit of sweetness and a nice crunchy texture. It’s completely optional though.
• Water

HOW TO MAKE MOLASSES PUMPKIN SPICE SCONES

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Starting with the dry ingredients first. In a large mixing bowl, sift and combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, salt, and pumpkin spice. Set aside. Next, separate the egg yolk from the white. Save the yolk for the last step before baking. In another bowl, whisk together the egg white, butter, sour cream, and molasses. Once completely mixed through, add the dry ingredients. Beat in the dry ingredients in until just combined. Don’t overmix – the dough will form quite quickly and shouldn’t be one complete, perfectly round ball of dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to push the dough together, gathering up the bits into a mound. Sprinkle the top lightly with flour and push the dough into a round shape about 1 inch thick. Use a knife to cut the dough into 8 wedges. Transfer those to the baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to dust off any excess flour. Add one tablespoon of water to the reserved egg yolk and whisk to combine. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of each scone with the egg yolk mixture. Sprinkle over the sanding sugar, if using. Bake for 13 minutes depending on your oven, until the top is just slightly golden in colour. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack immediately.

For the optional glaze, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar with 2 tablespoons of milk. (You can use more or less milk depending on how thick or thin you would like the glaze.) Drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled scones. Serve immediately or allow the glaze to firm before packing the scones into a food-safe container.

LET’S TALK ABOUT MOLASSES!

There are basically three types of molasses – light, dark, and blackstrap. If you boil cane sugar once, you will get light molasses. If you boil it twice, you’ll get dark molasses. So, boiling it three times, must mean that you’ll get blackstrap molasses. Remember, the darker the molasses (blackstrap) the less sweet and more bitter it is.

Never use blackstrap molasses in a recipe unless instructed to do so by the author of the recipe. You can use light or dark without changing the taste drastically. There’s also sulphured and unsulphured molasses. The difference between the two is that the sulphured molasses has been chemically treated with preservatives.

If you buy molasses to make these cookies and have lots left over, there’s plenty you can do with it. One of my favourite sources of recipe inspiration is Taste of Home. Here’s a list of 33 Amazing Molasses Recipes!

CAN I USE TREACLE INSTEAD?

Yes. In essence, treacle is the British version of molasses. It comes in two forms: light treacle or golden syrup, which is very similar to a light molasses. Black treacle is similar to blackstrap molasses, but is lighter in colour and not as bitter. I use unsulphured fancy molasses and black treacle interchangeably.

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

If you plan to eat all eight scones in the next two or three days, you can leave them sitting in a covered container on your countertop. Otherwise, you can freeze them. Once the scones are fully cooled, pack them into a food-safe, freezer-friendly container and set them in your freezer. They will stay fresh for about four to six weeks. To thaw, remove from freezer and place in a single layer onto a wire cooling rack. Once thawed, they will taste just as good as the day you took them out of the oven!

Personally, I think life with a freshly baked scone and a cup of tea or coffee cannot possibly get any better!  When the weather gets a little cooler, there’s nothing more satisfying and relaxing than a scone smeared with butter. The question remains though, will you retreat to your spot on the couch? Or will you brave the elements and sit outside and soak up the beauty of fall?

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!