Pumpkin scones

Ugly but delicious ;). Pumpkin scones – quick little buns made without yeast, using baking powder instead. This British speciality comes in a pumpkin version this time – just look at that flavour and colour! If you have never baked scones before, I should mention that they should be slightly crisp on the outside and lovely and soft in the middle. Shape them fairly small and cut them out using a very sharp cutter. Perfect for brunch or afternoon tea, even straight from the oven!

Which pumpkin do I use for baking?cIn Poland, a good variety for baking is Hokkaido pumpkin, known in the UK as Red Kuri squash. It has a delicate flavour, a floury texture and an intense orange colour. It is very versatile and can be used in many different ways in cooking.

Makes 10–12.

Ingredients for the pumpkin scones:

• 350 g plain flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 50 g butter, cold
• 250 g pumpkin purée
• 2 eggs
• 20 ml milk
• 100 g raisins

Sift the plain flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl. Add the cold butter, cut into small cubes, and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles crumble. In a separate bowl, whisk together the 2 eggs, pumpkin purée, milk and raisins. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and quickly mix together. You will have a thick, sticky dough (do not add more flour, even though you may be tempted to!).

Generously dust the work surface with plain flour. Place the dough on it and dust the top with more flour. Roll it out to approximately 1.7 cm thick. Using a 5 cm round metal biscuit cutter with sharp edges, cut out the scones. Arrange them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, leaving a little space between them. Before baking, you can brush the tops with milk (I don’t, as I prefer the more rustic appearance of the scones).

Bake at 230°C for approximately 15 minutes. If the buns are browning too quickly, reduce the temperature to 220°C. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack. They are best eaten on the day they are baked.

Enjoy!