Pumpkin Scones with Caramel Sauce (Gluten-Free)

These scones are amazing!  The recipe is one that I have adapted from Alice's Tea Cup, a cookbook written by Haley & Lauren Fox, owners of "New York's most whimisical tea spot".  Honestly, it is the sauce that really makes these scones incredible.  The authors say the scone is best served warm and recommend that they are not glazed until shortly before serving.  You will notice there is a lot of ginger and cinnamon:  1/4 cup of each!  To be honest, the first time I made the recipe, I did not add this amount, but by the second time I was ready to add all of it and the scones were delicious! 

Ingredients

3 cups gluten-free flour blend (with xanthan gum) *see recipe for this under Gluten-Free category

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 1/2 tsp. gluten-free baking powder

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 cup ground ginger

1/4 cup ground cinnamon

3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 - inch pieces

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (all pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)

2 Tb. pure vanilla extract

Caramel Sauce

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, and cinnamon.

3.  With clean hands, work the butter into the dry mixture until it is thoroughly incorporated and has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.  Alternately, you can use a pastry blender to incorporate the butter.

4.  Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, and pour the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract into the well.  Stir using your hands, combine the ingredients until all the dry mixture is wet, but do not knead!

5.  Turn the mixture onto a floured surface and gather the dough together.  Gently pat the dough to make a disk about 1 1/2 inches thick.  Using a 3- or 3 1/2 -inch biscuit cutter, cut out more scones - just don't knead the dough too much.

6.  Bake the scones for about 12 minutes, our until lightly browned.  Let the scones cool slightly on the baking sheet (about 20 minutes) before glazing them.

7.  While the scones are cooling, prepare the caramel glaze:  Place the butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk gently until the mixture is smooth.  Just as the mixture comes to a light boil, add the heavy cream and reduce the heat to low.  Whisk well for 2 minutes, or until the glaze is thickened and smooth; then remove the pan from the heat.

8.  To glaze a scone, hold it by the bottom, dip the top in the warm caramel glaze, and place it back on the baking sheet.

Serve with additional sauce

Alternately, you can use a simple icing sugar glaze, using icing sugar, cinnamon, butter and milk.