Pumpkin Chocolate Scones with Spiced Pumpkin Glaze

My birthday is coming up here pretty quick and I can hardly believe that another year has come and gone.  This year for my birthday I asked for a plane ticket to Utah for my sister Stephanie who lives in California.  I'm pretty much getting the best birthday gift ever (and all of my sisters and mama are thanking me for the gift I asked for and am getting)!  Her visit will be short (too short), but we are definitely planning on making the most of it and I can hardly wait for her to get here.  I have that tight, excited Christmas feeling inside.

Last night, my thoughts were filled with planning the food we will eat while she is here (she loves food as much as I do).  You'd laugh if you saw all my planning lists.  Dinner menus, breakfast menus, lunch ideas, grocery lists, food preparation lists.  It might all seem a bit crazy, but if I can plan it out (at least the things that I really want to be included) and can prepare the things that can be made ahead of time then I don't have to spend every moment in the kitchen while she's here and we still get to eat really great food.

These pumpkin scones were at the top of one of my lists.  It is October and something pumpkin seemed to be the perfect way to start one of her mornings here.  I've made these scones before (without the chocolate) and I couldn't help but think that a great dark chocolate would be a very welcome addition to these scones.  So, this afternoon I gave them a whirl to make sure they'd turn out the way that I wanted them too and heaven help me...the chocolate was the perfect addition!  I ate one and I seriously couldn't refrain from eating another (and right before dinner too).  The pumpkin. The chocolate.  The glaze.  I was in scone heaven and I know Stephanie will be too!

Pumpkin Chocolate Scones

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 large egg + 1 yolk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup pure cane sugar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate

Spiced Pumpkin Glaze

1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
dash of cinnamon
dash of fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together pumpkin, cream, and eggs.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.

Using a pastry cutter, your fingers, or a food processor, cut butter into the flour mixture until the mixture is crumbly and there are no pieces of butter bigger than a pea.  Add chopped chocolate and toss to combine.

Make a well in the center of the flour/chocolate mixture and pour in pumpkin mixture.  Using a fork, combine until dough just comes together.  Do not overwork the dough.  Form dough into a 6"ish square and cut into 9 squares (thirds and then thirds again).  Place square scones on prepared baking sheet.  Place in freezer.

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Once oven is preheated, remove scones from the freezer and bake for 15 minutes.

While the scones are baking, make the spiced pumpkin glaze.  In a flat bottomed bowl, whisk together cream, pumpkin, salt, and spices.  Add the powdered sugar and whisk until no lumps remain.  Glaze scones while slightly warm (not hot) and sprinkle with chopped chocolate.

Scone recipe adapted from The Faux Martha