Pumpkin Fruit Scones

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 3 cups unbleached plain flour
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 120 g cold unsalted butter, in small chunks
• 2/3 cup dried cherries (or currants or sultanas) or 2/3 cup chopped pitted dates (or currants or sultanas)
• 1 cup pumpkin (cold & mashed)
• 180 ml buttermilk
• milk (or 1 egg yolk to 2 tsp water)

Recipe

• 1 boil or steam 1 cup pumpkin and mash it.
• 2 set aside to cool.
• 3 preheat oven to 200°c.
• 4 lightly flour a heavy baking sheet and set aside.
• 5 place flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb soda and salt in a food processor and whiz to mix thoroughly.
• 6 add the butter& process until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
• 7 (mixing can also be done by hand by rubbing in butter with flour).
• 8 transfer mix to large bowl.
• 9 add the cherries, or fruit of choice and toss to mix.
• 10 make well in the center.
• 11 whisk together pumpkin& buttermilk and pour into the well.
• 12 stir mix very lightly with a fork until thoroughly moistened.
• 13 turn out onto floured surface, knead a few times to just combine.
• 14 pat into a 3cm think round, dip a scone cutter or small glass into flour and cut out scones.
• 15 place fairly close together on baking sheet, brush with milk for a dull glaze or egg yolk mix for shine.
• 16 bake for 12-20 minutes (allows for different oven temperaments).
• 17 remove from oven.
• 18 wrap in a tea towel for five minutes.
• 19 serve hot with butter, or go the full hog and use your favourite jam topped with a dollop of cream.