Fall in love with these autumnal pumpkin scones in four different flavours

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — Halloween is nearly upon us.

Which, for some, means time to dress up as ghouls and goblins, superheroes and toys-come-to-life. A time for trick-or-treating. More sugary snacks than is sensible, causing dentists and personal trainers alike to nag their patients and clients well in advance (typically to little avail).

For me, Halloween means it’s fall and what’s more autumnal than pumpkin? Less of jack-o’-lanterns and more of pumpkin pies and spiced pumpkin lattes.

And pumpkin scones.

Yes, pumpkin scones. When I think of scones, two versions stand out in my mind.

The first is the classic scones we enjoyed in Tisanes Tea Rooms, a traditional English tearoom, many years ago. Located in the village of Broadway in the beautiful Cotswolds, Tisane is famed for their rich, buttery scones which benefit from the surrounding bucolic countryside, as well as the accompaniment of proper clotted cream.

The second is a more crumbly, almost savoury version made by my Australian friend Wayne Zanussi. His take incorporates pumpkin purée, which makes his pumpkin scones a delightful alternative to the aforementioned pumpkin pie or pumpkin spiced latte.

Consider Wayne’s pumpkin scones from Down Under an autumnal ambrosia.

(Yes, I am well aware that autumn in most parts of Australia is from March to May. But it’s the thought that counts, surely?)

He puts it best: “Is there anything nicer than pumpkin scones at tea time? The crunchy exterior... the soft, flavourful texture of the scone, topped with strawberry jam and a dollop of cream.”

I would argue Wayne’s Aussie-inspired pumpkin scones are good enough that you can even skip the jam and the cream. Sounds sacrilegious, I know, but try these and you will know what I mean.

There is no other fruit that is more representative of autumn than the pumpkin.

WAYNE’S PUMPKIN SCONES

This recipe is adapted from Wayne’s tried and true method for making pumpkin scones. Which means it’s perfectly fine to play with the basic map and embellish according to your personal preferences.

To get you started, here are several ways to jazz these up.

Enjoy them as is, with the fruit’s earthy sweetness shining through. Introduce pops of textural contrast with some golden raisins (an element I have observed in other Aussie confections).

Go Japanese with a hit of matcha, especially if you like the powdered green tea’s intense vegetal and grassy notes. A little savoury too, with its natural umami flavour.

Cut the pumpkin into cubes after slicing and peeling.

Or, if you’re a diehard fan of all things chocolate (as I am), a generous dash of cocoa powder will make your pumpkin scone all the more decadent and, shall we say, adult tasting?

The possibilities are probably endless but it all begins with a beautiful base of this winter squash. Yes, a winter squash, but indelibly linked to the fall season and Halloween and the sweetest spices.

If you are making your pumpkin purée from scratch, make sure to cut the pumpkin into cubes after slicing and peeling. Cubed pumpkin will cook faster and be easier to purée.

Lastly, a tip from Wayne: “Cold butter is the secret to the flakiness of the scones. Work quickly so that the butter doesn’t melt.”

Ingredients

• 225g pumpkin purée

• 2 eggs

• 180ml evaporated milk

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 500g all purpose flour

• 130g brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 250g unsalted butter (sliced into small cubes and kept cold in the freezer)

• Variations: 30g golden raisins / 30g matcha powder / 30g cocoa powder

• Egg wash (whisk together 1 egg and 70ml evaporated milk)

Spices such as cinnamon (left) and nutmeg (right) lend an autumnal fragrance.

Method

Preheat an oven to 210°C.

Add the pumpkin purée, eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl. Whisk briskly till the mixture is well combined. These will be your wet ingredients.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt).

Jazz your pumpkin scones with matcha or cocoa powder.

Cut the cubes of cold butter into this dry mixture using a pair of knives until it forms coarse grains. Avoid using your hands if possible as your body heat might cause the butter to melt into the flour mixture.

At this point, you can add the optional ingredients for any of your variations — golden raisins, matcha powder or cocoa powder — to the flour-butter mixture and combine well.

Gradually add the wet ingredients and continue to stir. The mixture should be sticky but not too moist. If it’s too wet, you can add some extra flour.

Pour the combined mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead this dough a couple of times. Roll it into a 1-inch-thick circle. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into 2-inch rounds.

You roll up any leftover dough and cut again until it is all used up. Carefully place the cut rounds onto a lined baking tray.

You will fall in love with these Aussie-inspired pumpkin scones.

Brush the exterior of the scones with your egg wash. To get a crunchy exterior, bake the scones at 210°C for about 20 minutes until they are golden brown.

You can check the doneness of the scones by inserting a toothpick into the centre. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the scones are ready.

Serve the scones warm as they are, or if desired, with some jam and a dollop of cream. Any remaining scones can be cooled before being frozen. These can later be heated in the microwave for a minute or two before serving.

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