Classic pumpkin scones: seasonally spiced pumpkin meets traditional scone dough for the perfect afternoon treat. Serve warm with lots of butter and don’t forget the tea!
For breakfast, afternoon tea or as a midnight snack, scones tick all the boxes – no matter how you pronounce them or what shape you bake them into.
Historically, scones were an unleavened flatbread cooked on a griddle. The tall, round shape we’re familiar with today came with the invention of baking powder. For which we should all be thankful!
While we may think of scones as being quintessentially British, they also have origins in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and New Zealand. Our strong connection between the scone and Britain is the marvellous invention of afternoon tea.
Sometime in the 19th century, the Duchess of Bedford Anna Maria Russel, found herself getting a little peckish in the afternoon when the household dinner was moved from 4pm to 7pm. Soon, she had her kitchen staff serving small platters of tea, finger sandwiches and scones with jam and clotted cream from Devon daily to tide her over. Her friends soon caught on and so Devonshire cream tea, and afternoon tea, were born.
Other Favourite Recipes:
Though traditionally scones were either plain and slightly sweetened or studded with raisins, today, they come in lots of different flavours with an array of diverse mix-ins… including pumpkin.
These are classic pumpkin scones. With no mix-ins other than the spiced roasted pumpkin. There’s no glaze either, giving them the option of being both sweet and savoury:
Savoury – Serve them plain, warm and buttered, or with cream cheese. Or you could split them, sprinkle on some cheddar and heat them gently until the cheese is melted and oozy.
Sweet – a drizzle of honey or maple syrup is all they really need if you’ve got a sweet tooth. Though marmalade, ginger jam or a cranberry sauce would be amazing sweet options too.
Tips for Making Pumpkin Scones
Now that you’ve got some ideas of how to serve these classic pumpkin scones, let’s talk tips and tricks.
The pumpkin. Sure, any leftover mashed pumpkin will do, but roasted pumpkin, cooked with the spices instead of adding them in later, will yield a sweeter flavour and the spices won’t taste raw. Either way, make sure the pumpkin is completely cold when adding it to the mixture.
Handling the dough. As little as possible and with the lightest touch. Scone dough does not like to be manhandled, it only needs a soft knead and then pat it out into shape as much as possible or use a rolling pin sparingly.
Cutting out scones. Really, you can use whatever shape cookie cutter you like, though circular ones are traditional. If you find the cookie cutter is sticking, dip in some flour, shake off the excess and press straight down – don’t twist as you lift it, it won’t help lift the scones out and it’ll make them rise less because the twisting action seals in the edges.
Milk wash. Don’t skip the milk wash. Just don’t. It helps to make your scones golden brown but coupled with the high cooking temperature, gives the scones that tell-tale crusty top. If you don’t have milk, you can try a little cream, a very diluted egg wash, or just simple water.
Scones like company. You want to position your scones close together on the baking tray, not quite touching, but close. The proximity encourages them to rise better and more evenly.
Hot oven required. Make sure your oven is hot and preheated to 220°C. Scones don’t take too long to cook and the high temperature makes them rise and be crumbly on the outside but still fluffy in the centre.
Storage. Enjoy them fresh out of the oven, or for up to 3 days after baking, though they would benefit from being heated up if they’re not served fresh. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months by wrapping them in cling wrap or reusable bags and then putting them into an air-tight container.
Looking for other Afternoon Tea Treats? Try These:
- The scone’s sister: Strawberry Shortcakes
- The scone’s cousin: Peanut Butter, Ricotta and Banana English Muffins
- Homemade spread: Feijoa and Kiwi Fruit Jelly
- Some tea: Citrus Black Tea Affogato
- A pastry option: Peach Galette with Sour Cream Pastry
- A tapas option: Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish Tortilla)
- Something more filling: Zucchini Flower Quiche
Let me know what you’re going to top your pumpkin scones with in the comments!
Pumpkin Scones
Ingredients
- 250 g kent pumpkin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon all-spice
- 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg, divided and freshly grated if possible
- 50 g unsalted butter, room temprature
- 50 g caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 375 g self-raising flour
- 80 ml milk, plus a little extra for a milk wash
- Pepitas, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
- Remove the skin from the pumpkin and chop it into small cubes. Turn out on the baking tray, drizzle with oil, add the cinnamon, all-spice and half of the nutmeg and mix to coat. Spread out the pumpkin and roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until very soft and caramelised. Set aside to cool complete and then mash. Keep the baking tray handy for baking the scones.
- To make the scones, start by creaming together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to mix, followed by the mashed pumpkin – it will not come together just yet, patience.
- Add the flour and the rest of the nutmeg and mix with a spoon until you get a shaggy dough. Make a well in the centre and add in the milk. Using the spoon (many also like to use a butter knife), mix everything together to form a sticky dough. Try not to overmix the dough so you don’t end up with tough scones.
- Turn the dough out onto a sheet of baking paper and gently but quickly knead the dough a few times until it just comes together with not traces of flour. Top with a second sheet of baking paper and gently push the dough out into a 2-3 cm thick circle.
- Use the top sheet of baking paper to re-line the baking tray and set aside. Using a 5cm round cookie cutter, cut as many rounds as you can from the dough (pressing straight down – no twisting!) Lift the scones gently from underneath and place them on the baking tray, slightly touching.
- Gently knead the scraps of dough together and continue cutting out scones until all the dough has been used up, making between 20 and 25 scones from a 5cm cutter.
- When all the scones are cut out, brush the tops with a little extra milk, top with a sprinkle of pepitas (optional but recommended), and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a nice pale gold on the bottom.
- Serve warm with butter, cream cheese, honey, ginger jam, marmalade or cranberry sauce. If there are any leftovers, split them, sprinkle on some cheddar and toast until warm and melty. Don’t forget the tea!
