What to avoid when making scones?
Before you get started making your delicious pumpkin scones, there are a few tiny things you should avoid doing if you want them to be perfectly fluffy.
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Don't overmix the dough: overmixing can lead to tough and dense scones. Mix the dough just until the ingredients come together.
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Make sure the ingredients are cold: cold butter and cold liquids help create a flaky texture in scones.
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Measure your ingredients: baking is a science. And while some people might have the gift of free-measuring ingredients, most dont. Use measuring cups and spoons for dry and wet ingredients, and level off the excess.
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Don't press the dough too thin: scones should be about 2 cm thick to ensure proper rise and moisture retention.
- Soft butter, not melted: leaving the butter at room temperature for a short period or by gently softening it in the microwave.
Cooking utensils needed for the best pumpkin scones
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Large bowl: a large mixing bowl is needed to accommodate all the ingredients and to allow room for mixing without spilling.
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Sifter: a sifter is essential for sifting the self-raising flour and salt into the wet ingredients. This helps prevent lumps and ensures even distribution of dry ingredients.
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Measuring cups and spoons: accurate measurements are crucial in baking.
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Scone cutter: a 6.5cm scone cutter is needed to cut out the scone rounds. Dusting it with flour before cutting helps prevent sticking.
How to make pumpkin scones
Ingredients
• 60g butter, chopped, softened
• 1⁄4 cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1⁄2 cup cooked and mashed pumpkin, cooled
• 21⁄2 cups self-raising flour
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• Extra flour, for kneading
• Extra milk, for brushing
• Extra butter, to serve
Method
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Preheat oven to 220°C and line an oven tray with baking paper. Put butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with a whisk until light and fluffy. Add egg and pumpkin, then stir to combine. Sift flour and salt into mixture and mix. Add milk gradually, stirring to form a soft loose dough.
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Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead to bring together. Use the palm of your hand to flatten out dough to 2cm thick. Using a 6.5cm scone cutter, dusted in flour, cut out 9 rounds (bringing scraps together and re-flattening, if necessary).
When using the scone cutter, press straight down without twisting. Twisting can seal the edges and prevent proper rising.
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Put rounds on prepared tray, so sides are touching. Brush tops with extra milk. Bake for 15 minutes or until light brown. Halve and spread with extra butter to serve.
Cook's tip
Dipping the scone cutter in flour helps make a clean cut, and placing the scones on the baking tray with sides touching helps them rise and become fluffy.
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