Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat; set it aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the chilled pumpkin puree, cold milk, cold egg, and vanilla extract until smooth. For the best scone texture, I like to place this mixed wet bowl back in the fridge to keep it extra cold while I work on the dry ingredients.

In a separate large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, packed brown sugar, white sugar, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir until all ingredients are uniformly distributed. Add the cold, diced unsalted butter to the bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your hands, work the butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Keeping the butter cold is key for flakey scones!

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the chilled pumpkin mixture from Step 1. Use a rubber spatula to gently mix until a soft dough forms—avoid overmixing so the scones stay tender. There may still be a bit of flour visible. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently fold it over itself 2-3 times using a pastry scraper, until most of the flour is incorporated. Shape the dough into an 8x5 inch rectangle, about 1 inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 6 squares. Place the squares on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the scones in the preheated oven for 17–18 minutes, until they are risen and lightly golden. Let the scones rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes after baking, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. I always let the scones cool properly before glazing—they hold together better that way.

While the scones are cooling, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream in a medium bowl until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add up to 1/2 tablespoon more heavy cream until you reach a spreadable consistency. This simple glaze is the perfect sweet complement, and I recommend tasting it to adjust the consistency before spreading.

Take 1 tablespoon of the vanilla glaze from Step 5 and transfer it to a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin puree, and 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, stirring well to combine. Place this spiced glaze in a small ziplock bag for piping. For extra autumn flavor, I use a little more spice if you like a bolder taste.

Once the scones are completely cool, spread 1.5–2 tablespoons of the vanilla glaze from Step 5 over each scone and place them back on the cooling rack. Let the glaze set for 5–10 minutes. Snip the tip off the bag with the spiced pumpkin glaze from Step 6 and drizzle it over the scones in decorative stripes. Allow the scones to set for another 15–20 minutes to let the glazes firm up, then enjoy! I find this double-glazing step adds a beautiful and delicious finish.