The arrival of autumn is marked by many things, one of them being pumpkin-spiced everything. Over the years, I’ve come to embrace it and these scones are my contribution to the party. Scones should always be an easy, effortless bake, so I’ve used tinned pumpkin puree to keep it simple, but feel free to make your own if you have some leftover pumpkins to use up. If you make these with the coffee glaze, they’re great to eat as is, but a dollop of clotted cream will always be welcome on a scone.
Makes 8
plain flour 450g, plus extra for dusting
ground cinnamon 1 tsp
ground ginger ½ tsp
ground nutmeg ½ tsp
ground cloves ¼ tsp
caster sugar 85g
baking powder 1 tbsp
salt ¼ tsp
unsalted butter 180g cold, diced
milk 100ml, plus extra for brushing
pumpkin puree 130g
egg 1
For the coffee glaze
icing sugar 100g
instant coffee 1 tsp, dissolved in 2 tbsp of hot water
milk 1 tbsp
Preheat the oven to 180C fan/gas mark 6. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, spices, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the cold butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
In a separate jug or bowl, whisk together the milk, pumpkin puree and egg. Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the liquids. Use a table knife to stir until it clumps together to form a dough. Turn the dough out on to a very lightly floured surface and pat into a rectangle about 2.5cm thick.
Cut the dough into 8 squares and place them on the baking sheets, leaving about 3cm between them. Brush the tops with a little milk. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until well risen and golden. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool while you make the glaze.
Mix the icing sugar, instant coffee mixture and milk in a small bowl until you have a smooth, pourable glaze. You can stir in a little more icing sugar if you find it’s too thin. Pour the glaze over the scones and let it set for a few minutes before eating.
From A Good Day to Bake by Benjamina Ebuehi (Quadrille, £22)
