Our Guests Have Arrived

A warm thank you to Pom Pom and Mags for coming up with this fun worldwide tour of some storybook friends of ours! They're off to see Debbie in Oregon next and I can't wait to read about all of their adventures!
Toad, Mole, and Ratty from Wind in the Willows have finally arrived here in Ontario from Colorado. It was a loooooong trip, but they have had a little rest and have been rejuvenated with some cups of tea and pumpkin scones that I made especially for them.

Stay tuned throughout the weekend for more adventures.

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Because Toady was just smacking his lips and forgot all about joy riding in a car for a short time, I thought I would share the scone recipe with you. The scones are purported to be the recipe that Starb*cks uses. If you've ever had them you know they are good! I found them at East 9th Street and because a friend (you know who you are :o)) says I should always copy them onto my blog (just in case the other blog disappears without a trace) here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Scones

7 Tablespoons sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 Tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 Tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl.
4. With a fork, pastry knife, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter remain. Set aside.
5. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk pumpkin, half and half, and egg.
6. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Form the dough into a ball.
7. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long      and 3 inches wide).
8. Use a large knife to slice the dough into three equal portions. Cut diagonally to produce 6 triangular slices of dough.
9. Place on prepared baking sheet from step 2.
10. Bake for 14–16 minutes until scones turn light brown.
11. Place on wire rack to cool.

Sugar Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk

1. Mix the powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoon milk together until smooth.
2. Brush glaze over the top of each cooled scone.

Spiced Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

1. As sugar glaze firms, combine the spiced icing ingredients.
2. Use whisk to drizzle over each scone and allow to dry before serving.

Enjoy!

Stay tuned for more animal adventures and while you're waiting, go vote there's only four days left! You know you want to :o)!