in season: pumpkin scones

My mum used to make pumpkin scones when we were little kids. I remember their delicious crumbly sweetness. I was quite nervous to make them because a) I've not had much success with plain scones in the past, and b) they are a kind of weird thing to convince children to eat. But who better to go to for a scone recipe than those CWA girls?

 from The Country Women's Association Cookbook: Seventy Years in the Kitchen (2009)
Pumpkin Scones
Cream 1 tablespoon butter and 110g (1/2 cup) sugar in a bowl. Add 1 cup of cold mashed pumpkin and 1 beaten egg, stirring well to combine. Sift in 450g (3 cups) self-raising flour, stirring to make a soft dough. If the dough is too stiff, add a little milk. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out. Cut into scone shapes and bake in a 200*C oven. If plain flour is used, add 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder.

My tips:
2 cups of chopped pumpkin, cooked in the microwave or steamed, made 1 cup mashed pumpkin.
Don't fuss with the dough- the less action it sees the better. Barely bring the ingredients together before turning it out, then be oh-so-gentle when you roll. In fact, I didn't roll with a pin, I just patted it out.
My mum swears by using a glass to cut scones. Not a metal or plastic cutter. I don't know why. Just do it.
You could always add spices to accentuate the sweetness of the pumpkin- nutmeg likes pumpkin, but you could add more savoury spices like cumin too (these opinion are not the opinions of the CWA).
You must, must eat them warm, with a slathering of proper butter and the hot drink of your choice.

Even if you hate pumpkin, you will like these. My family had turned them to a few mere crumbs before even asking me why they were orange. Do you use pumpkin for sweet treats? Link me up!