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Spiced pumpkin and apricot scones

Perfect for any autumnal occasion, these spiced pumpkin scones go hand in hand with a nice cup of tea by the fire. Happy baking!

Brought to you by AO Life

Sugar and spice and all things nice... Try these gorgeous pumpkin scones from AO Life!

Perfect for any autumnal occasion, these spiced pumpkin scones go hand in hand with a nice cup of tea by the fire. With apricots adding a scrumptious surprise, these scones are a must bake this season! Happy baking!

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Servings

Ingredients

180 g pumpkin flesh, peeled, deseeded and cubed (prepared weight)
150 g spelt flour
100 g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
30 g light brown sugar
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
a pinch of ground cloves
¼ tsp salt
grated zest of 1 orange
45 g cold butter, cubed
50 g dried apricots, finely chopped
1 free-range egg
100 ml milk
pumpkin seeds to sprinkle

Instructions

First, make the pumpkin purée. Steam the pumpkin chunks over boiling water for around 20 minutes, or until completely tender to the tip of a knife. Set aside to cool slightly, then purée in a food processor until completely smooth (add a splash of the milk if it needs loosening a little). Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 210°C/Gas Mark 6. Line a baking sheet with nonstick paper. In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, sugar, spices and salt. Add the orange zest. Put the butter in the bowl, then rub into the flours with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Whisk the egg and milk together in a small jug. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the pumpkin purée. Add the dried apricots. Add two thirds of the milk mixture to the flour and pumpkin and bring together with your hands to form a smooth dough – it shouldn’t be too sticky, but nor should it be dry and crumbly. Add a little more milk if necessary, saving 1 tbsp of the milk and egg mixture for brushing.

Roll or flatten the dough out to around 2.5cm (1in) thick. Use a scone cutter to cut circles out of the dough, spacing them apart on the prepared baking sheet. Roll any remaining dough together and cut more circles, until it’s all used up (you can roll any remaining dough into a small scone shape and bake that too).

Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining milk and egg mixture, then sprinkle with a few pumpkin seeds. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until risen and golden on top. Leave to cool for a few minutes before eating.