Date and Spice Pumpkin Scones

Found in a magazine. Am yet to try it. Preparation time does not include time for cooling cooked pumpkin. May be frozen.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Yields: 12 scones

Ingredients

• 500  g pumpkin, Queensland Blue
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 3  cups self raising flour
• 50  g butter, chopped
• 2  tablespoons caster sugar
• 1  cup pitted dates, chopped finely
• 1⁄3 cup milk, approximately

Directions

1. Steam or microwave coarsely chopped pumpkin until tender, drain well. Add the cinnamon and salt; mash until smooth, cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees centigrade. Lightly grease and flour a scone tray.
3. Sift flour into a large bowl, rub in butter. Add sugar, pumpkin, dates and most of milk. Mix to a soft dough. If dry, add remaining milk.
4. Gently knead dough on lightly floured surface until smooth. Press dough out evenly about 2 cm thick. Cut out as many rounds as possible using 6cm scone cutter.
5. Place rounds on prepared tray. Gather remaining dough together and repeat cutting out process as above - handle lightly and gently.
6. Brush tops of scones with a little milk.
7. Bake in moderately hot oven for about 25 minutes.
8. Serve warm with butter.