Put These Cheesy Pumpkin Scones at the Very Top of Your Fall Baking List

The first official day of autumn may technically land in September, but we all know, it's the arrival of October that truly brings out all of the fall feels. Sweaters move to the front of the closet, cold brew coffees are traded in for steamy lattes, and an unfettered enthusiasm for pumpkin anything is unleashed.

We most often think of pumpkin — the glowing mascot of the season — as an ingredient destined for sweetness. That makes sense, just considering how it shines in everything from bundt cakes and pie to cheesecake and cookies. However, it just so happens that this favored piece of fall produce is equally incredible when it takes a walk on the savory side.

Which brings me to scones — the tender, buttery pastry, commonly served at breakfast, that no one in their right mind can resist. Now, I'll be the first to agree that the famously tasty Starbucks-inspired, pumpkin-spiced scones are indeed, well, really tasty. But more often than not, I crave a morning fuel that's more robustly satiating than sweet. And so, these Cheesy Pumpkin Scones with Walnuts and Sage came about.

It's true that pairing pumpkin with ingredients like fresh sage, Gruyere and Parmesan cheese, and brown butter is a touch cliche, but…some things become cliche for good reason. This autumnal combination is most assuredly one of those things. Together, these distinctive elements join to create the perfect fall flavor harmony: The inherent vegetal sweetness of pumpkin (enhanced with a few spoons of brown sugar) is deliciously complemented by earthy sage, boosted with toasty brown butter, and balanced by nutty/salty cheeses.

Get the Recipe: Cheesy Pumpkin Scones with Walnuts and Sage

Sold yet? If so, here are just a few tips to help guarantee you success in your pumpkin scone endeavors:

1. Freeze Your Butter

Plenty of folks keep a box or two of butter stashed in the freezer anyway (it's always a good idea), but if you're not one of them, just be sure to toss one stick of unsalted butter into your freezer at least a few hours before you plan to make your scones. This does require a small amount of planning ahead, but it's definitely worth your while. Extremely cold butter is crucial to achieving supremely flaky scones — as well as biscuits and other pastries.

2. Grate!

So now, you're going to take that rock-hard frozen butter and using the large holes of a box grater, you'll grate it into small, pliable shreds. These chilled butter shavings are ideal for pastry doughs, where you generally want to incorporate your butter into a dry flour mixture as quickly as you can, to minimize over-working and keep the butter as cool as possible. That said, once you've grated your butter, I'd suggest transferring it to a bowl and tucking it back into the freezer until you have your flour mixture whisked up and ready to go. If you notice that you seem to be losing some butter that's softened onto the holes of the grater (ugh, friction!), don't worry; leave it be and when you grate your Gruyere on the same holes, you can count on the cheese to pick up your left-behind butter.

3. Prepping Your Pumpkin for Success

For the pumpkin puree called for in this scone recipe, you can certainly make your own by roasting a raw pumpkin and processing the flesh, as you would if you were making a from-scratch pumpkin pie. Or you can save some time and opt for canned. If you take this route, the first thing you want to make sure of is that you pick up a can of plain pumpkin, not "pumpkin pie filling." They're typically housed in the same area of the supermarket, but canned pumpkin pie filling is flavored with an assortment of spices you don't want for this recipe.

Once you measure your pumpkin puree into a mixing bowl, pause before you add the next ingredients and grab a couple of paper towels. You see, this is an extremely moist ingredient, it's going to behoove your scones to soak up a bit of the excess wetness. All you need to do is "dab" all over the pumpkin puree in the bowl — pressing firmly enough to soak up moisture but not so much that you have puree clinging to the paper towel.

4. The Finishing Touches

Because these savory scones won't be receiving a glaze after baking, you'll add your toppers before they head into the oven. First up, a mixture of brown butter and heavy cream is generously brushed on top of each scone to boost flavor, encourage browning, and act as an adhesive of sorts for the other finishing touches.

Next you'll hit the scones with ample freshly cracked black pepper; this adds a pop of peppery taste as well as visual appeal. And finally, press one fresh sage leaf on top of each scone to seal the deal. Not only do the leaves look lovely, but they crisp up so nicely in the oven, making for a delightful kiss of herbaceous crunch.

5. Keep an Eye on Them

One of the most crucial moments of the entire scone-baking process comes right at the end. During the final minutes of baking, make sure to stand by and keep an eagle eye on those beauties. You want to pull them from the oven just as soon as they hit their finish line — the crusty exterior should be lightly browned with a faint sheen. Avoiding overbaking is the goal here, and it only takes a matter of a few minutes for your scones to go from satisfyingly cheesy, fluffy, and buttery-tender to noticeably dry and requiring a tad more chewing power than you'd like in an ideal world.

The best scones are the ones served fresh and warm from the oven, you'll just need to allow them to cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes before serving. For optimal flavor and texture quality, enjoy the scones the day that they're made. However, if you find yourself with leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to two days and gently reheat as desired.

More Pumpkin-Powered Inspiration:

• 15of the Easiest Pumpkin Desserts You'll Ever Make
• Our 20 Best Pumpkin Recipes of All Time are a Fall Sensation
• 23 Healthy Pumpkin Recipes to Make This Fall
• 17 Desserts That Use an Entire Can of Pumpkin
• 10 Pumpkin + Chocolate Recipes That Belong In Your Fall Playbook