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Pumpkin Season: Savoury Pumpkin Scones.


- Makes 12 medium (6cm diameter) savoury scones - Ready in 45 minutes -


*Uses up 300g of fresh pumpkin (both flesh and stringy bits) or use a medium butternut squash*


Make sure you don't include any seeds when making the puree. The seeds can be soaked and roasted to make a delicious snack - here is the recipe link for 'Soaked and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds'.


If you are in a rush when making these scones, they will probably turn out to be the best you ever make. Scone dough is very prone to being 'overworked' so do as little as you possibly can to them.

Gather together…

2/3 cup (150g) of cooked pumpkin puree (made from 300g of peeled pumpkin / butternut squash) - see below for how to make your own easy pumpkin puree.

2 cups self-raising flour (NOT sieved).

1 tbsp white caster sugar (or white granulated sugar), or use brown sugar (I know these supposedly 'savoury' scones contain sugar, but they are definitely more savoury than sweet eventually).

Pinch of salt.

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (I always used freshly grated nutmeg - supermarkets sell whole nutmegs and then you just use a fine cheese grater).

60g chilled butter (in 0.5cm x 0.5cm x 0.5cm cubes).

1/2 cup (120g) of plain yoghurt.

2 tsp milk (to brush the tops of the unbaked scones with).

Serve with...

Butter.


Get cooking…

1. First make the 150g of pumpkin puree from 300g of skinless and seedless raw pumpkin / butternut squash (yes, you need double the raw flesh for - roughly - the right amount of puree) - use a potato peeler to turn the pumpkin flesh into long, thin strips OR cut it into very thin slices with a knife (I usually end up with a mixture of peelings and slicings). Then place it into a large microwavable bowl (e.g. a pyrex dish), add 3 tbsp of water, cover the bowl with a vented lid (to allow some of the steam to escape, so you don't get burnt by a rush of steam when opening the lid) and microwave on HIGH for 10 minutes. Then very carefully (as it is HOT) drain the liquid away with a sieve and then blitz the cooked pumpkin with a handheld stick blender until smooth - this will take about 1 minute. If it seems watery, use the sieve again to remove more water. Now spread the puree out thinly on a dinner plate and let the puree cool for AT LEAST 15 minutes before using - so you don't melt the butter! Do weigh out the correct amount needed before using as you'll probably have a bit of puree leftover - stir into a pasta dish or a smoothie, or make a spiced latte, so it isn't wasted.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 220 C (200 C fan) or Gas 7.

3. Sprinkle 1 tsp of flour onto a medium-large, flat oven tray, or use a reusable silicone liner (such as an Eco Living reusable silicone baking sheet), set the tray aside.

4. Put the 2 cups of SR flour in a large bowl (no need to sieve it).

5. Add the 1 tbsp of white caster / granulated sugar (or you can use golden or demerara sugar), the pinch of salt and the 1/4 tsp of (freshly) ground nutmeg. Stir.

6. Next add the 60g of COLD butter cubes and rub them in (partially) with clean finger-tips, for about 30 seconds. Then use a handheld stick blender (or a food processor) for about 30 seconds to turn the mix to breadcrumb-like consistency.

7. To the dry ingredients add the 2/3 cup (150g) of COOLED cooked pumpkin puree and the 1/2 cup (120g) of plain yoghurt - if there is slightly too much / too little puree then compensate by adding a little less / more yoghurt than the recipe states.

8. Stir the mixture well with a metal spoon for 30 seconds until the ingredients are ONLY JUST combined and there are no dry, floury patches. It is a rather wet dough, this is fine (as it will accumulate more flour when you put it on the worksurface).

9. Use 3 tbsp of flour to dust a clean worksurface. Tip the (rather soggy) dough onto the floured worksurface and sprinkle another 1 - 2 tbsp of flour on top.

10. Flatten out the dough gently (using your finger tips) until it is 2 ½ cm thick - no need for a rolling pin. Lift the edges of the flattened-out dough up slightly, then lay them down again, to ‘relax’ the dough

11. Dip a 6cm diameter circular metal cutter in flour - I use a fluted cutter for a more traditional look. You could use a drinking glass if you don't have a cutter. Punch the cutter straight down through the dough to cut out as many rounds as you can (you are aiming for 12 eventually).

12. Re-gather the dough, give it one very quick knead so the previously-discarded bits stick together (flour the surface again if needed) and cut out more scone circles. Repeat one last time to use up the last of the dough. You must try and handle the dough as little as possible, or your scones will be tough due to overworked gluten.

13. Place the 12 dough circles onto the flour-dusted / silicone lined tray, they can be quite close together as they don't spread out much.

14. Brush the tops of the scones with a total of 2 tsp of milk. Don't let the milk trickle down the sides of the scones, or they won't rise evenly.

15. Bake the scones for 12 - 15 minutes until well-risen and golden brown. Don't over-bake them or else they will be dry and unpleasant.

16. Immediately remove the scones from the baking tray and cool them on a wire rack (or else they will become soggy).

17. Cool them completely before storing in an airtight container (so they don't 'sweat'), but they are delicious eaten warm with butter.

18. These scones really do need to be eaten on the day of baking - they are rather dry if eaten the next day (or if they are defrosted after being frozen), but if this is unavoidable then they can be perked up by gently microwaving them immediately before serving.


Adapted slightly from the Pumpkin Scone Recipe on the taste.com.au website.

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