There’s something deeply satisfying about a warm cheese scone, even better cheese and pumpkin scones, smothered in butter and washed down with a cup of tea. In my view savoury scones should be eaten soon after baking, however, if baking them for a picnic try filling them with butter and wrapping them in foil soon after baking and the scone will preserve it’s mildly spongy texture longer.
I’ve got two versions of this pumpkin scones recipe, one was purely by mistake because I forgot to add the egg, but as it happened they turned out okay, the consistency was not dissimilar to that of potato bread. I’ve since made these with the egg added to achieve a lighter texture but thought the egg free version was well worth keeping in for those who have to steer clear of eggs.
The perfect recipe for using up that pumpkin flesh around Halloween, or, if you're like me and freeze your pumpkin you can enjoy these all year round!
- 250 g /8oz pumpkin puree
- 250 g /8oz self raising gluten free flour
- 30 g /1oz butter
- 90 g /3oz cheese
- milk to glaze
- 1 egg
- +an extra 30g/1oz self raising flour
- extra egg to glaze
- Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub together into bread crumbs.
- Add most of the cheese (hold some back to top) and combine.
- Add the pumpkin puree and, if you're using egg, add a lightly beaten egg.
- Using a rounded knife mix to combine until crumb mixture starts to bind.
Tip onto a well floured surface and knead gently to incorporate all the ingredients.
Roll dough to a thickness of approx 2-3cm
- Using a cutter cut out 8 scones.
- If using egg brush each scone (or milk if not) then top with the remaining cheese.
- Place on a greased baking tray and put in the oven on 190C/375F/Gas 5 for 15-18mins.
- Remove and allow to cool - these are best served slightly warm with lashings of butter.
The cheesy bites you can see in the picture are made with 150g pumpkin puree, 200g self raising flour, 75g grated cheese, 50g butter. Simply rub the flour and butter together, stir in the cheese and add the puree, mix to combine, roll out and cut into tiny shape … or baby scones as Lewis likes to call them! These take 15mins to cook at the same temperature and this mixture makes approx 100 cheesy bites – watch out, they’re morish!
