plump little pumpkin buns

I woke up this morning thinking of pumpkin something.  Something soft and spicy - not my pumpkin scones, which I adore, studded with crystallized ginger, not my apricot scones, but something....different.  I found a recipe by a familiar and loved food blogger, Joy the Baker and went ahead, changing the recipe ( we all change recipes at the drop of a hat), discarding pecans in the batter, because I don't like nuts unless in-hand, but adding in plump raisins instead., Dropping the allspice, because I couldn't find it.  Mulling over adding crystallized ginger, and dropping that as well, because I wanted something plain.  As if.  It was brilliant.

A soft, palm sized little bun that sat in your hand - delicious and tantalizing.  A bun for breakfast, or brunch, or the 3 o'clock hunger pangs.  And loveliest of all, it came from a bakery called The Hummingbird Bakery.  Who could resist that history?  When I dropped some off at the library this afternoon, they flew off the platter.  I dropped off a second platter, results unknown, but I'm sure the platter was empty in no time.  Everyone's hungry at 3 pm:)

I'm sure these freeze well - pumpkin adds a wonderful density and moisture to any recipe, so you won't have to deal with dryness.  As I mentioned, there are no leftovers, so you'll have to take my word on it.

I think this made 14 buns, more or less, but they are gone, so I hope I'm right.

Pumpkin Buns

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix your dry ingredients into mixer bowl.

3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. ginger
1/8 t. cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cut up:
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter.  I learned ages ago to slice lengthwise, then cut into 3rds, then dice across with a chef's knife.  Toss into mixer bowl and mix until the butter is in small flakes and well incorporated.

The wet ingredients:

In a bowl, mix:

1 cup buttermilk
1 cup canned pumpkin, One Pie preferred ( this is not a pumpkin pie mixture)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup raisins

Add the wet mixture, plus the raisins, to the dry mixture, and mix until blended.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop pumpkin mixture onto baking sheets that have been fitted with clean foil, 6 scoops to a sheet.

Bake for 22 minutes and remove to cooling rack.  As it cools, add the second sheet and bake as above.  I did have a third sheet with two buns, the last of the batter, which I promptly ate.

For a little icing, if you wish, you can make a brown butter frosting:

4 T. melted unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 t. vanilla
3 T. milk

Mix well and drizzle over buns with a fork or whisk.

Hope you enjoy as much as I have!