Pumpkin scones

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups cooked mashed pumpkin
• 4 ½ cups self-raising flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 250ml cream
• 125ml buttermilk (more if needed)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 220ºC. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. This is best done by sifting the mixture 2-3 times.
3. Break eggs into a bowl and add the cream and buttermilk and beat with a fork to combine. Pour this mixture into the flour mixture with the mashed pumpkin and stir with a table knife until the dough comes together.
4. Lightly sprinkle the benchtop with flour and turn the dough out onto the bench. Knead gently until the mixture is smooth. Pat it out to a thickness of 2.5cm. Using a scone cutter, press out scones and place on the baking tray. If preferred, lightly brush the top of the scones with milk.
5. Bake the scones in the oven until light golden on top and cooked through. The timing will depend on the size of the scone cutter and also the type of pumpkin used. A dry pumpkin such as Queensland Blue is preferable to a more moist flesh such as butternut. Cook the scones for 10 minutes then turn the tray around and cook for 3 minutes at a time, checking each time, until the scones are done.
6. Remove the scones from the oven and slide onto a tea towel lined cooling rack. Fold the tea towel over the scones to prevent them from drying out. Serve with jam and whipped cream or butter.