Pumpkin treat – savoury
Pumpkin Scones
This recipe makes scones with a difference – savoury, no sugar and with the health-giving properties of pumpkin. Vegans could make them with oil, and use vegan cheese and soya or oat milk.
Prepare: 25 minutes Cook: 20-22 minutes, plus cooling time
Makes 8 large scones or 12 smaller ones
Ingredients
- 40g butter, plus extra for greasing
- 200g pumpkin flesh, cut into small pieces
- 225g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Handful grated Cheddar
- Small handful chopped fresh coriander or flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 3-4 tablespoons milk, plus extra for brushing
- Butter for serving
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Grease a baking sheet by rubbing with a little butter.
- Put the pumpkin pieces into a saucepan and just cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes until just tender. Drain and mash with a fork. Leave to cool.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a big bowl. Add the butter. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs.
- Use a table knife to mix the mashed pumpkin into the flour mixture. Add the cheese and herbs, then add just enough milk to make a dough.
- Sprinkle a little flour on a work surface and on your hands, then lightly knead the dough for 30 seconds.
- Form the dough into a ball, then lightly pat it out to about 3cm thick. Dip a round fluted cutter in a little flour and cut out scones. Put on the baking tray, spaced a little apart.
- Roll the spare bits of dough into a ball and flatten. Cut out the rest of the scones. Brush the tops with milk.
- Put the scones into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack but they are nicest when still warm and butter will melt when you cut them open.
Pumpkin treat – sweet
Pumpkin, poppy seed and lemon loaf
This moist, moreish loaf is a lovely autumnal teatime treat. It’s also a great way to sneak more fruit and veg into your children’s diets!
Prepare: 25 minutes Cook: Ready in just over an hour
- Ingredients
- 225g peeled and deseeded pumpkin or butternut squash, cubed
- 4 tbsp milk
- 1 large egg
- 175g self-raising flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 150g caster sugar
- 1½ tsp mixed spice
- ½ tsp grated nutmeg
- 50g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
- Grated zest of 1 small lemon
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Grease a 900g loaf tin or 2 smaller tins and line with baking paper or greaseproof paper, then grease well once more.
- Peel and deseed the pumpkin and cook 225g of the chunked flesh in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Drain well and leave until the steam dies down, then blend to a smooth purée with a blender or in a food mixer. Scoop into a mixing bowl and mix in 3 tablespoons milk and the egg.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, mixed spice, nutmeg and seasoning into a large bowl. Add the butter and mix in with finger tips until the mix looks like fine breadcrumbs (or you can use a food processor). Add to the puréed pumpkin mix and stir until just mixed, adding the remaining milk if the mixture seems dry. Stir in the poppy seeds and grated lemon zest. Spoon the mix into the loaf tin(s) and bake for 45 minutes until well risen and golden. If 2 tins used, check after half an hour – a skewer should come out clean (not sticky)
- Remove the cake from the tin and cool on a wire rack. Remove the paper and serve cut into slices.