Ingredients

• 2/3 cup fresh pumpkin purée
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1" cubes
• 1/4 cup orange zest
• 1/4 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 1 cup golden raisins (optional)

Directions
To make perfect pumpkin purée

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2 Cut a pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds with a large spoon. Brush the cut sides with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with brown sugar. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the skin is easy to pierce with a knife, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow the pumpkins to cool completely.

3 Scoop out the flesh of the pumpkins and place in a food processor; process until smooth. The pumpkin purée can be refrigerated for up to two days, or frozen for up to three weeks.


To make the scones

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2 Line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together the pumpkin, sour cream and baking soda; set aside.

3 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices, making sure to remove any lumps. Cut in the butter cubes until the mixture is crumbly and resembles coarse meal. Add the orange zest, lemon juice and egg to the pumpkin mixture.

4 Fold the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until the mixture is just moist. Stir in the raisins, if using. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute until a dough forms.

5 Drop 2" pieces of dough onto the prepared baking sheet for scones with a rustic look, or roll the dough into a circle and cut into 12 wedges.

6 Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the scones are golden brown on the bottom. Serve warm.

Prep time: 30 minutes.
Cook time: 15 minutes.
Serving size: Makes 12 scones.