Cheese-crusted pumpkin scones


Use up your halloween pumpkin (or make anytime with delicious butternut squash) and bake these delicious cheese-crusted pumpkin scones for your whole family to enjoy.

Ingredients

275g Peeled and deseeded pumpkin or butternut squash (about 350g unprepared weight)
225g Self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Smoked paprika, plus extra to finish
50g Butter
125g Mature, cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
2-3 tsp Milk, plus extra for brushing
2 tbsp Pumpkin seeds (about 20g)
drizzle Mellow yellow for roasting the squash/pumpkin

Method

Preheat the oven 220C, fan 220C, gas 7. Chop the pumpkin or squash into about 2.5cm pieces, place in a roasting tin drizzle with Mellow Yellow and rub the squash/pumpkin to coat thoroughly and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until tender.

Mash the cooked pumpkin or squash, then tip into a sieve over bowl for 5 minutes to drain off any excess moisture ant to let it cool slightly.

Sift the flour, baking powder and smoked paprika into a mixing bowl and add a good pinch of salt and a grinding of pepper. Stir in the butter and rub in until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in half the cheese.

Tip the pumpkin or squash into the mixing bowl and use a table knife to start to blend it into the flour mixture. Add just enough milk to bring together as a soft but not sticky dough.

Turn out onto a floured surface and roll or pat out to a 3cm thickness. Use a 5cm, cutter to stamp out scone rounds and transfer them to a greased baking tray. Re-form the dough to stamp out further rounds until it is all used up. Brush each scone with a little milk then gently press a few pumpkin seeds on top. Add some grated cheese and then a dusting of smoked paprika.

Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until well risen and crisp. Cool slightly before eating.