“Hey, Celia,” I said, finding my voice.
“What, Jane?” she answered back
“I’m really glad we came to Austin,” I told her. And I meant it from the depths of my heart.
Pumpkin Scones with Chai Glaze
½ cup canned plain pumpkin
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
Scant cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into very small pieces
For the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2–3 tablespoons whole milk
For the chai glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
¼ teaspoon black tea, very finely ground
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
1 pinch ginger
1 pinch clove
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together the pumpkin, whole milk, and egg. Set aside.
Stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices together in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, rub the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles small peas.
Fold in the pumpkin mixture, stirring until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a floured pastry cloth or silicone baking mat. Knead the dough for a couple of turns, and then form it into a long rectangle, about ¾-inch thick. With a large knife, cut the dough into three squares, and then cut each square into two triangles.
Place the scones onto the lined baking sheet, and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the scones are lightly browned on top. Allow to cool fully.
To prepare the glaze, stir together the milk and powdered sugar. Brush over the cooled scones. For the spiced glaze, stir together all the ingredients. To pipe over the scones, you can use a pastry bag and a tip, or simply spoon the glaze into a zipper storage bag and cut the tip of one corner off. Drizzle over each scone in a zigzag pattern; allow to set before serving.
Makes 6 scones.
Readers Guide
1. Jane of Austin borrows much of its plot and characters from Sense and Sensibility, but there are references and character elements from other Austen works as well. Which did you notice? Which were your favorites? Discuss what Austen character you would most like to see in the modern era.
2. Much of the story revolves around the relationship between the sisters. How did you relate to Jane and Celia’s communication challenges? Which sister’s approach to conflict or change do you relate to more, and why?
3. Jane and Celia have career and relationship options today that Sense and Sensibility’s Marianne and Elinor Dashwood didn’t have during the early nineteenth century. What social constraints still exist that compare to Austen’s era?
4. Callum’s psychological challenges due to his family history and his professional experience have real, lasting consequences. Discuss what you imagine as Callum’s future with Jane, in his BBQ business, with Dash, and for his well-being. How have you experienced animals connecting with humans under emotional duress?
5. Jane falls for Sean Willis soon after meeting him. Do you think she would have felt the same way if she remained in San Francisco? If she and Celia weren’t emotionally distant? How do you think her situation affected her response to Sean?
6. A common thread in Jane Austen novels is the revealing of a person’s true character. Which characters in Jane of Austin are revealed to be different than expected?
7. Both Jane and Callum struggle to find a sense of home. Why do you think it’s so important to them? What makes it a challenging search?
8. Margot is an important part of Jane and Celia’s relationship. How do you think Jane and Celia’s story might’ve been different if not for their role as Margot’s guardians?
9. For a long time Callum doesn’t see himself as worthy of being someone’s hero. Why do you think that is?
10. Tea and baking play a big role in how Jane relates to other people. She takes care of her loved ones through tea. What are some of your favorite nonverbal expressions of love?
Acknowledgments
In writing this book, I owe a deep debt of gratitude to many people, all of whom I’m extremely grateful for.
This book wouldn’t have happened without my editor, Shannon Marchese, for many reasons but the biggest of which is that she came to me with the title. It was a fun challenge coming up with a story to go with it, and I’m so thankful for the opportunity.
I’m perpetually thankful for my agent, Sandra Bishop, who is a class act and a stand-up lady, and handles my panicked moments with aplomb.
Many, many thanks to my friend and line editor Rachel Lulich, who always has sharp observations and worthy notes and manages to make them and make me laugh at the same time. That is not a simple task, but I’m so glad for it. She also dug up the quotes about tea from Doctor Who, which made all the difference.
Many thanks to Laura Wright and her team for polishing the manuscript and getting it book-worthy. And thanks to Kelly Howard for the gorgeous cover.
I’m so thankful for the smart writers I get to call friends—Kara Christensen and Sarah Varland, for listening and brainstorming when necessary.
Many thanks to my Street Team, for their enthusiasm in all things, including recipe testing! Bakers Becca Peterson, Courtney Clark, Dani Redican, Michelle Brown Jinnette, and Sarah Varland have been endlessly helpful, and I so appreciate their willingness to try new things.
I’m also very thankful for my many Austin advisors, most notably Jamie Lapeyrolerie and Allison Pittman, as well as Mindy Feather, Elisabeth Greene, and Sara Duncan Lisberger. You guys are all awesome, and because of you, I ate all of the tacos at Torchy’s while I could.
Thanks to Nöel Chrisman for assisting with the naming of Valencia Street Tea, and to Patti O’Connell for answering questions about how Callum would use his cane.
Many thanks to the fine folks at 7 Grams Coffee House and Bakery, who told me everything I needed to know about kolache, and to Janell Teach, who offered her expertise during my own experiment with making yeasted dough in general, kolache in particular.
Thank you to Google, for making it possible to map out where everyone went and analyze the street views of everywhere from Hyde Park to Valencia Street. It makes my job easier.
I would like to thank the security guard at the Austin Capitol building, for making sure I got to see everything I ought and then giving me a Junior Texas Highway Patrol sticker when it turned out I needed to head out because of time constraints. I still have it and will cherish it always.
Many thanks to the ladies of the Portland Heights Ladies Hat Club, for their support of me and my books over the years. You’re fabulous, one and all.
Lastly, many thanks to my family for their support over the years—both the family I was born into and the one I married into. And speaking of marriage, many thanks to my husband and sweetheart, Danny, for the encouragement, trips to Starbucks, and hard work that makes this work possible.
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