Brown the Butter: Chop the butter into cubes and place it in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, begin to whisk it gently. Allow the butter to cook until it is golden brown— about 4 minutes.

The butter will foam on top but you’ll know the butter is ready when the foam on top starts to turn golden brown. Remove it from the heat and whisk it gently again. Transfer to a heat-safe, airtight container, and freeze until solid— about 2 hours.

Add the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl and mix using a pastry cutter.

Chop the frozen brown butter into large cubes and add it to the bowl. Mix again until the butter is the size of peas.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, vanilla, and pumpkin puree until combined.

Transfer the butter/flour mixture to a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients and chopped pecans (optional). Stir until no large clumps of flour remain.

Once the dough is fully combined (it will look dry, that’s okay!), transfer it onto a floured surface and pat it into a circle using your hands— the dough should be 1 inch thick and the circle should be 8 inches in diameter.

Cut the dough into 8 triangles and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated 425F oven for 16-20 minutes, or until the scones are lightly browned and puffed.

To make the icing, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until no large lumps of powdered sugar remain. Allow the scones to fully cool before icing or the icing will melt off the scones.

Store the scones in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. The scones are best when reheated in the microwave for 30 seconds.