Iced Pumpkin Scones

According to my calendar (and the rest of the country), summer is ending and Autumn is beginning. Here in Southern California however, it's still at least 80 degrees everyday. This past weekend we hit record high temperatures, in the 90's and even 100 degrees in some areas! I felt like I was in Palm Springs.
Luckily, that fluke only lasted a couple days, and so far this week has been cooler, especially in the evenings and mornings. I can't help but long for a true Autumn but know I will have to wait another month for those very warm days to go away.
My October issue of Martha Stewart Living just arrived and on the cover, fall was screaming with its harvest of delights. I was inspired alright, and even though it's still warm, I was determined to bake some fall-ish treats. It is, of course, my favorite time to cook and bake!
First up on my list of delicious things to make: Iced Pumpkin Scones. I made these last year and they were so incredibly easy and yummy. So I found the recipe I used (found on Pinterest) and dove right in this afternoon.

Butter, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and spices go to work

I cannot even begin to tell you how much of a difference in aroma and taste using whole nutmeg and grating it yourself makes compared to using the pre-ground stuff. The spicy sweet smell of the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove filled my kitchen when I started to work the butter into the flour-spice mixture!
It's interesting how certain smells can trigger memories. Since I really only cook or bake with pumpkin this time of year, I was taken away to Thanksgivings of the past as soon as these puppies started baking away in the oven.
Of course, these scones wouldn't be the same without a sweet spicy icing on top. Powdered sugar mixed with milk and all the aforementioned spices really made these scones. So delicious!

Autumn may be right around the corner according to my calendar, but we all know it really still is summer here in So Cal...Indian summer. But you know, it doesn't mean I can't enjoy a sip of a chai latte, take a bite of these pumpkin delights, and go to a crisper, cozier place in my mind.