dublin dishes Dublin Life’s First Perfectly Pumpkin Contest

BY MALLORY ARNOLD Photo courtesy of Laura Mego

Dublin Life’s First Perfectly Pumpkin Contest

And the winner is...

For the first time, Dublin Life hosted the Perfectly Pumpkin Contest, calling out to Dublin residents for their very best pumpkin-themed recipes of the season. While we had many awesome submissions, Laura Mego’s scones taste like a crisp fall evening and are accessible for even the least experienced bakers. Congratulations, Laura!

Chai-Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Apple Cider Glaze

Recipe by Laura Mego

Ingredients for the glaze • 1 cup powdered sugar • 3 tbsp. apple cider • ¼ tsp. spice mix

Mix together and set aside.

Ingredients for the spice mix • 3 tbsp. cinnamon • 2 tsp. cloves • 2 ½ tsp. cardamom • 1 tsp. nutmeg • a few cracks freshly ground pepper

Mix together and set aside.

Ingredients for the scones • 3 cups all purpose flour (plus more for rolling out) • ½ cup granulated sugar • 2 tbsp. baking powder 4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into small cubes ½ cup pumpkin puree ½ cup whole milk (plus a few tablespoons, to ensure a liquid consistency) 2 large eggs 1 ½ tsp. of spice mix splash of quality vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit • 1 tsp. fine sea salt

and position rack in upper third of oven. Line sheet pan with parchment.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt in large bowl. Add in butter cubes and incorporate with fingers until texture is like fine wet sand.

In a small bowl, whisk ½ cup milk and one egg. Set aside two tablespoons as egg wash for top of scones. Add in remaining milk, pumpkin and egg, and mix thoroughly. Mixture should be liquid (not thick like pudding), so add milk as needed to thin the mixture out. Add in 1 ½ teaspoon of the spice mix, along with a splash of vanilla extract and stir to combine.

Add liquid to dry ingredients, and stir to combine.

Flour work surface and turn dough out on surface. Add flour and knead until just combined and no longer sticking to counter.

Form a rough circle about ¾ inch thick and cut the round into 12 wedge shaped pieces. Place in pan and brush with egg wash.

Place in oven and reduce temp to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown on top.

Allow to cool completely, then drizzle glaze over top.