Pecan-topped Pumpkin & Spice Scones

Fall is my favoite season with it’s array of colors, falling leaves, crisp temperatures and seasonal foods . . . including pumpkin.  While I always enjoy our “tried and true” recipes, I like to try new ones too and this scone recipe is a keeper. Insteas of cutting in cold cubes of butter, the directions have you grate frozen butter into the spicy flour mixture . . .  a win-win solution in my book! 

 

Pecan-topped Pumpkin & Spice Scones      Makes 8 

1/2 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling; I used purée from a roasted pumpkin but canned works, too)

1/4 cup heavy cream + extra for brushing

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons pumpkin spice (click here for a homemade version)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen

1/4 cup chopped pecans

 

For the Glaze (optional):

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoons heavy cream

Optional — A little leftover pumpkin purée (I mixed the glazed in the bowl that held the pumpkin purée)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a  bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, heavy cream, egg and vanilla extract. Set aside
   
   
   
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt.
   
   
   
4. Grate frozen butter directly into flour mixture. Gently work ingredients together with a spatula or your hands so butter is evenly distributed, but don't over-mix.
   
   
   
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just until a dough forms and knead very lightly to incorporate ingredients being careful not to overwork dough.
6. Transfer dough to a piece of lightly sprayed parchment paper and shape into a 7-inch round, about 1 inch thick. 
7. Sprinkle top with chopped pecans and lightly press them into the dough. 
8. Brush with more heavy cream.
   
   
   
9. Cut into 8 wedges; transfer parchment topped with wedges to a baking sheet. 
10. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Let scones cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
    
    
    
11. For optional glaze: In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and heavy cream. Drizzle glaze over the scones.

Recipe without photos . . . Pecan-topped Pumpkin & Spice Scones      Makes 8 

1/2 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling; I used purée from a roasted pumpkin but canned works, too)

1/4 cup heavy cream + extra for brushing

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons pumpkin spice (click here for a homemade version)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen

1/4 cup chopped pecans

 

For the Glaze (optional):

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoons heavy cream

Optional — A little leftover pumpkin purée (I mixed the glazed in the bowl that held the pumpkin purée)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a  bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, heavy cream, egg and vanilla extract. Set aside
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt.
4. Grate frozen butter directly into flour mixture. Gently work ingredients together with a spatula or your hands so butter is evenly distributed, but don't over-mix.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just until a dough forms and knead very lightly to incorporate ingredients being careful not to overwork dough.
6. Transfer dough to a piece of lightly sprayed parchment paper and shape into a 7-inch round, about 1 inch thick. 
7. Sprinkle top with chopped pecans and lightly press them into the dough. 
8. Brush with more heavy cream.
9. Cut into 8 wedges; transfer parchment topped with wedges to a baking sheet. 
10. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Let scones cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
11. For optional glaze: In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and heavy cream. Drizzle glaze over the scones.

 

Paw-of-Approval Dog Biscuits as featured in KANSAS! Magazine, 2025, vol 81, issue 5

The theme of KANSAS! 2025, vol 81, issue 5 is unusual or quirky things about Kansas. How could I tie this into the Taste article I write for the magazine? It finally dawned on me that I could write about dog bakeries . . . and proposed the idea to my editor. She suggested I also include cat cafes. “Cat Cafes” — I’d never heard of them but soon I had expanded my horizons (that’s why I love writing for KANSAS!). Then, along the way, I discovered Dog Bars! Hence the story that earned the title of Pet Paradise! It was a fun to write article that was informative and educational for me, and I hope for the readers. 

It seems that recipes for dogs are closely guarded secret lists of  ingredients and instructions, all designed to create nutritional treats that will appeal to our furry friends. So, I used a recipe that I’ve made for our doggie friends — Sammy, Duncan and Tucker who live in Colorado with David Amess. 

Paw-of-Approval Dog Biscuits  

 I did my research and recipe testing in a quest for wholesome treats for furry friends Sammy, Duncan and Tucker.  I knew I’d found a winner when the trio of golden retrievers snarfed up their “bones” and then each graced me with a paw-of-approval. Meta Newell West 

Yield: About 35 dog treats

INGREDIENTS

2 large eggs 

1 cup unsalted natural crunchy peanut butter 

1/2 cup unseasoned pumpkin puree (drain in a small mesh strainer to remove any excess moisture before measuring) 

1/2 cup water 

2 cups whole-wheat flour + more for dusting dough

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 

Pinch of salt 

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1.   Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper that has been lightly sprayed with pan release.


2.   Whisk eggs, peanut butter, pumpkin and water in a large bowl. 

3.   Add flour, cinnamon, ginger and salt; stir to combine. 

4.   Tansfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough comes together, about 1 minute.

5.   Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and lightly dust both sides with extra flour. 

6.   Roll one piece of dough about 1/4-inch thick, dusting with more flour as necessary to keep it from sticking. 

7.   Cut out biscuits with a 4-inch dog bone cookie cutter. Shape all the scraps back into a disk and reroll. Continue to cut biscuits until no dough remains.


8.   Transfer to a prepared pan and bake the biscuits until the edges are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. 

9.   Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

10.  Storage: Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

 

Featured Pet Paradise establishment included in my article:

·    The Dog Treatery: Address: 1615 Jeanette Ave. Wichita, KS, 67203 / Phone: 316-267-1054 / Website: thedogtreatery.com / FB: The Dog Treatery

·    Barks & Brew : Address: 1312 E. English, Wichita, KS 67211 / Phone: 316-210-2773 / Website: barksandbrewsdogbar.com

·  Sunflower Cat Cafe: Address: 3236 Kimball Ave., Manhattan, KS / Phone: 785-537-3693 / Website: sunflowerpet.com / FB: Sunflower Pet, Manhattan KS

 

Included in a Side bar of other places to check out: 

·   Lucky Dog Pet Grocery & Bakery:  Address: 933 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS   Phone: 785-550-0926 /cell: 785-550-2852 / FB: Lucky Dog Pet Grocery & Bakery

·     Maddie’s Pet Bakery & Boutique: ONLINE access  / Phone:  785-226-5090  /  FB: Maddie’s Pet Bakery & Boutique

·   The Literary Cat Co.: Address: 915 N. Broadway, Pittsburg, KS, 66762 / Phone: 479-366-3316 / Website: theliterarycatco.com/home / FB: The Literary Cat Co

·    Topeka Cat Café: Address: 400 SW 29^th St, Suite H, Topeka, KS, 66611 / Phone: 785-640-3885 / Website: topekacatcafe.com/ FB: Topeka Cat Cafe

Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls . . . fall flavors update a classic recipe

t’s a two-day process, but these Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are definitely worth the effort! This fall inspired recipe incorporates pumpkin purée into the dough as well as being added to the classic filling which also uses pumpkin spice in addition to the  typical cinnamon. I found the recipe on Farmhouse on Boone blog and made it as is . . . other than baking rolls in two smaller sized cast iron skillets. I also used fluffy and flavorful Cider Cream Frosting instead of the topping  listed below — it was a nice compliment to the rolls and added another layer of fall flavor. 

Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls  Yield: 12 to 14  

Night before:

1/2 cup fed sourdough starter 

1/2 cup water 

4 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour 

1/2 cup melted coconut oil 

1/2 cup pumpkin purée (plain pumpkin, no spices or sugar added)

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 

1/2 cup honey 

Next day:

Pumpkin Sugar Filling:

1/2 cup softened butter 

1 cup packed brown sugar 

1/4 cup pumpkin purée 

1 tablespoon cinnamon 

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice  

2/3 to 1 cup chopped walnuts to sprinkle over filling, if desired

Cinnamon Roll Dough (continued):

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Top with before baking:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 

Cream Cheese Topping . . . or use Cider Cream Frosting 

6 ounces cream cheese 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1/2 cup maple syrup or honey 

2 teaspoons vanilla 

1. Night before: In a bowl, combine fed sourdough starter, flour, honey, puréed pumpkin, water, pumpkin pie spice, and melted coconut oil. 
2. Mix together and form into a ball. 
3. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover the dough with beeswax wrap or plastic wrap, allowing it to rest in a warm place overnight for 8 to 24 hours.
4. Next Day: Preheat oven to 375°.
5. Pumpkin Sugar Filling: In a bowl, combine softened butter, brown sugar, pumpkin purée, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until smooth. 
6. Cinnamon Roll Dough (continued):Place the fermented dough from the night before into a stand mixer and add eggs, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined.
7. Lightly dust the counter with flour, and roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. 
8. Spread pumpkin sugar mixture all over the rolled out dough, and top with walnuts. 
   
9. Roll the dough up as tightly as possible. When you get to the end, pull it up as tightly as you can and pinch the ends into the main roll.
   
10. Slice to make 12 to 14 sourdough cinnamon rolls.
11. Place the rolls into a seasoned 14″ cast iron skillet or a baking dish. (I used 2 smaller cast iron skillets.)
12. Pour heavy cream over top of the rolls.
    
13. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned and the dough is cooked through. Allow them to cool a bit.
    
14. Cream Cheese Topping: (I spread the top of the rolls with Cider Cream Frosting rather than the one provided below.)
15. In a stand mixer, add softened cream cheese, heavy cream, maple syrup or honey, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Stir until combined. 
16. Pour over cinnamon rolls.  

Recipe without photos . . . Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls  Yield: 12 to 14  

Night before:

1/2 cup fed sourdough starter 

1/2 cup water 

4 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour 

1/2 cup melted coconut oil 

1/2 cup pumpkin purée (plain pumpkin, no spices or sugar added)

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 

1/2 cup honey 

Next day:

Pumpkin Sugar Filling:

1/2 cup softened butter 

1 cup packed brown sugar 

1/4 cup pumpkin purée 

1 tablespoon cinnamon 

1 tablespoon  pumpkin pie spice 

2/3 to 1 cup chopped walnuts to sprinkle over filling, if desired

Cinnamon Roll Dough (continued):

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Top with before baking:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 

Cream Cheese Topping . . . or use Cider Cream Frosting 

6 ounces cream cheese 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1/2 cup maple syrup or honey 

2 teaspoons vanilla 

1. Night before: In a bowl, combine fed sourdough starter, flour, honey, puréed pumpkin, water, pumpkin pie spice, and melted coconut oil. 
2. Mix together and form into a ball. 
3. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover the dough with beeswax wrap or plastic wrap, allowing it to rest in a warm place overnight for 8 to 24 hours.
4. Next Day: Preheat oven to 375°.
5. Pumpkin Sugar Filling: In a bowl, combine softened butter, brown sugar, pumpkin purée, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until smooth. 
6. Cinnamon Roll Dough (continued):Place the fermented dough from the night before into a stand mixer and add eggs, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined.
7. Lightly dust the counter with flour, and roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. 
8. Spread pumpkin sugar mixture all over the rolled out dough, and top with  walnuts. 
9. Roll the dough up as tightly as possible. When you get to the end, pull it up as tightly as you can and pinch the ends into the main roll.
10. Slice to make 12 to 14 sourdough cinnamon rolls.
11. Place the rolls into a seasoned 14″ cast iron skillet or a baking dish. (I used 2 smaller cast iron skillets.)
12. Pour heavy cream over top of the rolls.
13. Place in the oven to bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned and the dough is cooked through. Allow them to cool a bit.
14. Cream Cheese Topping: (I spread the top of the rolls with Cider Cream Frosting rather than the one provided below.)
15. In a stand mixer, add softened cream cheese, heavy cream, maple syrup or honey, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Stir until combined. 
16. Pour over cinnamon rolls. 

Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes – festive, healthy, easy and tasty, too!

On a healthy eating quest, I have tried some recipes that are edible but not worth a repeat performance. These healthy pumpkin pancakes passed the taste test making them blog worthy! Besides that, they are simple. Found the recipe on ambitiouskitchen.com blog. I did cut the ingredients in half creating two moist and tender plate size pancakes that are full and spice, and naturally sweetened. 

We served them with homemade applesauce (without no additional sweetener), chopped pecans, and maple syrup . . . and a few pomegranate seeds since they are in season and we had some on hand. 

 

Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancake

Makes 6 pancakes total. Serves 3 (2 pancakes each)

 

3/4 cup pumpkin puree, freshly made or pumpkin pie filling without sugar & spices

2 large eggs

2/3 cup milk (regular, almond, etc.)

2 teaspoons vanilla 

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

Olive oil, for cooking

1. Add all of the ingredients to a blender (or food processor) and blend on high until completely smooth, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Lightly coat a griddle with c oil and place over a medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add about 1/3 cup of the batter to the griddle for each pancake; the batter may be thick so you'll need to use a spoon to spread out the batter a bit. It will get thicker as it sits so be sure to cook these pancakes immediately after blending. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes until pancakes slightly puff up and you see a few bubbles along the edges.

3. Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside. If you find that pancakes are browning too quickly, then you need to lower the heat. 

Note: Instead of individual spices, use 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.

Pumpkin-Pecan Scones made using the grated butter technique

Barry dog-eared this recipe that came in the mail as a part of a cookbook promo for Taste of Home. Thought it might appeal to my pumpkin cravings . . . and it does! I made it almost as is with these notable exceptions: 1) I cut the recipe in half to make just eight scones, 2) instead of cutting in the butter, I grated a frozen stick and lightly mixed it into the flour for a flakey scone, 3) whole milk was used instead of 2%,4) I added pecans. 

Pumpkin is not just a fall ingredient; I use frozen homemade pumpkin puree throughout the year and these moist scones will now be a year round treat.

 

Pumpkin-Pecan Scones     Make 8 scones 

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 stick (1/2) cup frozen butter

1 large egg, room temperature

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree

1/4 cup whole milk + another tablespoon or more for brushing scone tops

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons whole milk

Dash of pumpkin pie spice

1. In a large bowl, combine the first 7 dry ingredients.
   
2. Grate a stick of butter straight from the freezer as quickly as possible. Immediately add to the flour mixture and lightly toss to combine.
   
   
   

   
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg, pumpkin and milk.
   
4. Gently stir wet ingredients into dry just until moistened. 
5. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 10 times.
6. Pat dough into an 8” circle. Cut into 8 wedges.
   
   
   

   
7. Separated wedges and place 1” apart on ungreased baking sheets. Brush with additional milk.
   
8. Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown; to make sure the scones are baked through, insert an instant read thermometer—it should register 200°F.
9. Transfer scones to a cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes.
10. Combine the glaze ingredients. Drizzle over scones. 
    
11. Serve warm.

Recipe without photos . . .

Pumpkin-Pecan Scones     Make 8 scones 

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 stick (1/2) cup frozen butter

1 large egg, room temperature

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree

1/4 cup whole milk + another tablespoon or more for brushing scone tops

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons whole milk

Dash of pumpkin pie spice

1. In a large bowl, combine the first 7 dry ingredients.
2. Grate a stick of butter straight from the freezer as quickly as possible. Immediately add to the flour mixture and lightly toss to combine.
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg, pumpkin and milk.
4. Gently stir wet ingredients into dry just until moistened. 
5. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 10 times.
6. Pat dough into an 8” circle. Cut into 8 wedges.
7. Separated wedges and place 1” apart on ungreased baking sheets. Brush with additional milk.
8. Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown; to make sure the scones are baked through, insert an instant read thermometer—it should register 200°F.
9. Transfer scones to a cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes.
10. Combine the glaze ingredients. Drizzle over scones. 
11. Serve warm.

Praline Pumpkin Pie

Creamy pumpkin pie combines with crunchy, chewy brown sugar pecans in Praline Pumpkin Pie. It will be a different Thanksgiving this year (2020) with just four instead of our usual tableful of friends and relatives. So instead of the usual pumpkin and pecan pies, this year it’s just one—a combination of the two. 

 

Different times are an opportunity to try new things and another difference in this recipe is that the pumpkin mixture is cooked for four minutes on the stove top. Another difference this year—ground pecans were added to the pie crust dough. 

Praline Pumpkin Pie    Makes one 9” pie

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust (I added ground pecans to my traditional crust)

Pumpkin Filling

15 ounces pure pumpkin purée (NOT sweetened & spiced pumpkin pie filling)

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup evaporated milk

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Praline Topping

1 cup inely chopped pecans 

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon  corn syrup (light or dark)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Pumpkin Filling: In a medium saucepan, add pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and cloves; whisk to thoroughly combine. Cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
   
2. Remove from heat and whisk in evaporated milk followed by eggs and vanilla. 
   
3. Pour filling into pie crust.
   
4. Bake at 350° F for 40 to 50 minutes – until center barely jiggles.
5. Praline Topping: While pie is baking, add pecans, brown sugar and salt to a bowl and stir until evenly combined. Add corn syrup and vanilla and mix until evenly moistened.
   
6. Sprinkle Praline Topping evenly over filling.
   
7. Return pie to oven (you may need to cover edges of crust with foil) and bake about 10 additional minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Let pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours.
   

Make-Ahead: Crust can be made ahead and frozen. Pie can be made and cooled 2 days ahead of time then wrapped in plastic and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving. 

Other Pumpkin Pie Recipes include:

Pumpkin-Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Pie, Traditional w/ pumpkin puree

Pumpkin Pie, Walnut topped 

Recipe without photos . . .

Praline Pumpkin Pie    Makes one 9” pie

1 (9-inch) nbaked pie crust (I added ground pecans to my traditional crust)

Pumpkin Filling

15 ounces pure pumpkin purée (NOT sweetened & spiced pumpkin pie filling)

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup evaporated milk

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Praline Topping

1 cup finely chopped pecans 

1/3 cup packed  brown sugar

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon  corn syrup (light or dark)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Pumpkin Filling: In a medium saucepan, add pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and cloves; whisk to thoroughly combine. Cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
2. Remove from heat and whisk in evaporated milk followed by eggs and vanilla. 
3. Pour filling into pie crust.
4. Bake at 350° F for 40 to 50 minutes – until center barely jiggles.
5. Praline Topping: While pie is baking, add pecans, brown sugar and salt to a bowl and stir until evenly combined. Add corn syrup and vanilla and mix until evenly moistened.
6. Sprinkle Praline Topping evenly over filling.
7. Return pie to oven (you may need to cover edges of crust with foil) and bake 10 additional minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Let pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours.

Make-Ahead: Crust can be made ahead and frozen. Pie can be made and cooled 2 days ahead of time then wrapped in plastic and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.