Scones

Between getting married and moving house, I foolishly didn't have time to submit this post before I left the UK! So it's a little out-of-date, but still a great recipe :)

It's a tradition at my workplace to bring in cakes or other delicious goodies on your birthday, or when you have an important event to celebrate. With around fifty people who might bring in a cake at any moment, that can mean quite a lot of cake to eat over a week! I have a rule so I can still get through doors at the end of the day: never eat anything that isn't home made. So of course when I bring in my own celebration cakes, I always bring in a product of my kitchen, some things more successful than others!

To say farewell to the group after nearly six years, I thought it a good plan to make a traditional English high tea mainstay, scones. It's summer and these go wonderfully with lots of summer fruits like raspberries and strawberries; in winter they're more seasonal with dollops of thick sweet jam. I popped by the market and bought several punnets, and made a quadruple recipe of scones. They went down wonderfully, and it turns out a pint of cream is a lot, even for fifty people!

Ingredients:

• 225g self-raising flour
• 75g butter
• 45g sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 4 tbsp buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 210 C. Blend the flour and butter together in a food mixer until finely crumbed. Whoosh in the sugar, then turn into a large mixing bowl. Combine the egg and buttermilk in another bowl, then add to the dry ingredients. Stir together until a thick dough is formed; if necessary to wetten, add another tbsp or two of buttermilk.

Using  your hands, roll the dough into a large ball, then roll out flat. Use a cookie-cutter or the top of a glass or mug to make 2"-diameter circles, about 1" thick, and lay them on a baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until risen and golden. Serve within a few hours, as they are best warm.

Pumpkin Scone

I've been eating this for lunch for a couple of days, and every time my colleagues see it they ask what it is, and how I make it! It's a great replacement for bread if you're bored of sandwiches, and serves well alongside a few slices of sharp cheddar or soft goat's cheese. You could also slice it into small pieces, top with goats cheese and a few snippets of chive, and use as a vegetarian starter.

Again it's an adaptation of a Nigel Slater recipe; this time I've changed the cooking method as I don't own a shallow oven-proof pan. We're still working our way through the Crown Prince and it's the perfect ingredient here. However I think you could comfortably substitute sweet potato; perhaps use a little less milk to adjust for its higher water content.

Ingredients:

• 300g peeled and de-seeded pumpkin
• 140g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 70g butter
• 1 egg
• 90 ml warm milk
• 2 tsp thyme leaves

Cut the pumpkin into ~3cm chunks and steam for 20 minutes, or until tender enough to mash. Whiz the flour, baking soda, salt and butter together in a food processor. Drain the pumpkin and mash with a fork or potato masher, and beat in the egg, milk and thyme leaves. Season with black pepper. Combine the pumpkin and flour mixtures gently, stirring until no more flour is visible, but no further.

Warm a non-stick frying pan with a little vegetable oil to a low to medium heat. When the oil is warm, tip the dough in, scraping out the bowl and flattening the top. It takes patience at this point, as the cool dough will reduce the temperature of the pan, but don't be tempted to turn the heat up. Instead, cook for about ten minutes, and in the meantime preheat the grill to medium. You'll see the edges of the scone start to vent steam; at this point lift the edge of the scone gently and check the underside; it should be golden-brown.

Put the whole pan a few inches underneath the grill to finish off; the top should have a thin, golden-brown crust. If you know your grill well, you can grill it on medium for five minutes, then switch it off and leave it took cook in the residual heat. Serve warm, especially with cheese. It keeps for a few days, covered, in a cool place rather than the fridge.