My daughter likes to bake. She has recently set herself the task of learning to bake a nice scone.
While I was experimenting with other foods to make with all that winter squash, she decided to use winter squash as the flavoring for her pocket scones.
Scone ingredients:
3 cups flour, sifted
1 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
3/8 teaspoons baking soda
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
a pinch of Kosher salt
9 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 cup whole milk
1 egg beaten
Filling ingredients:
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1/4 cup winter squash puree
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
3 Tablespoons sugar
a pinch of Kosher salt
Directions:
1. Whisk all the scone’s dry ingredients together in one of the mixing bowls. Add the butter and gently cut it in with a pastry cutter or fork. Continue until the flour and butter is the consistency of large breadcrumbs.
2. Pour in the milk and stir with a fork to make the mixture into a shaggy dough. Be careful not to overmix. Chill the dough in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
3. Put all the filling ingredients into a mixing bowel and whip with a hand or stand mixer until all the ingredients are well blended and have a fluffy texture. Chill the finished filling in the refrigerator.
4. Empty the scone dough onto a floured surface. Dust the top with flour and roll it into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Cut the rectangle into six pieces.
5. Spoon 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the filling onto each dough portion. Then carefully fold over into a triangle and pinch gently to seal the edges. (My daughter’s triangles did not meet her expectations so she made them into square pockets instead). Place the formed scone onto a parchment lined baking sheet and chill them in the freezer for at least an hour.
6. While the scones are in the freezer, preheat the oven to 445 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the paper and scones off the baking sheet. Put a fresh sheet of parchment on the baking sheet and spray it with cooking spray.
7. Place the scones on the parchment on the tray. Space them at least an inch apart. Brush each scone pocket with beaten egg using a pastry brush, dust the top with granulated sugar. 
8. Bake for 15 minutes.
9. Allow scones to cool 5 – 10 minutes before serving. 
Perhaps, instead of going shopping the morning after Thanksgiving, use the leftover squash to make a lovely and special breakfast. Make a pot of tea (instead of only a cup). Put on your robe and slippers and watch the local news to see the crazy crowds of holiday shoppers.
yellow room upstairs 
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