Pumpkin Scones with Walnuts & Chocolate Chips

I love pumpkin season back home and these scones from Guestblogger Alita are the perfect, seasonal treat - I only wish that I was there to be her official taste tester! Thanks to Alita for yet another great post. ---A Crafty Lass

As excited as I was about Erin's latest adventure and the decision to move herself & A Crafty Lass to the land down under, I was also pretty sad. Erin is the friend who has taught me a lot about myself, about life and about cooking and experimenting with recipes - she's the friend who even ate the mistakes (and there have been more than a few in the 10 years we've been sharing creations)! I hated to say goodbye - but I wish her all the best, and no matter how many miles from each other life takes us, I'll be with her here guestblogging on this amazing site.

Here in Minnesota, we also said goodbye to a beautiful summer and have been watching the leaves transform from bright greens to vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red. As we welcome autumn, we find leaves that crunch beneath our feet and pumpkins for sale in many farm fields just outside the metro area. This time of year my mind immediately turns to transforming those roadside pumpkins into delicious baked treats. I have a long list of pumpkin favorites: pumpkin spice cake, sweet breads, pumpkin bars, pumpkin oatmeal cookies and of course pumpkin pie. But I quickly realized I'd never done a breakfast pumpkin creation. Scones immediately became my first fall baking project. The combination of pumpkin, whole wheat flour, walnuts & chocolate chips make these a hearty start to the day, and a perfect accompaniment to that coffee or hot tea you'll need here on these crisp autumn mornings.

For 8 Scones:

• 1 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add in pumpkin, yogurt and butter, mixing as you add each ingredient. Mix in the walnuts & chocolate chips. Form the dough into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough down into a circle about a 1/2-inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 pieces and put them on a baking sheet (I use a silpat). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are crisp and the top is lightly browned. Let them cool and then frost.

To frost: whisk the powdered sugar with the milk and drizzle over the scones. Enjoy!