October is the start of the squash and pumpkin season, when beautiful British produce begins to appear in shops and markets. Firm-fleshed pumpkin or squash is needed here, not the scrapings from large Halloween lanterns which tend to have a high water content. 

This recipe uses grated butter (rather than the usual rubbing method) and it gives a wonderfully light-textured scone with a crispy buttery base. These come together in minutes and may only last the same amount of time when fresh out of the oven! They are delicious with butter and a drizzle of your best honey but also pair well with cheese or soup because they are not overly sweet.

Servings:  Makes 8 large scones            Preparation:  30 minutes         Cooking:   14 minutes

Ingredients
150g      Butter (cold)
200g      Pumpkin or squash
350g      Wholemeal plain flour
2tsp       Baking powder
½ tsp     Bicarbonate of soda
½           Nutmeg, grated (or 1 tsp)
¼ tsp     Salt
2            Eggs (medium)
75g        Honey
25g        Pumpkin seeds
50ml       Milk

Tip:  Revive any left-over scones (after the day of baking) with 5 minutes in a hot oven.

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C Fan) and line two baking sheets with parchment or dust well with flour. 
   
   
2. Grate the fridge-cold butter and then spread on a plate and place in the freezer while you prepare everything else.
   
   
3. Prepare the pumpkin by removing any seeds or skin and carefully grating 200g of flesh.
   
   
4. Using a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, nutmeg and salt).
   
   
5. Separately, whisk together the eggs, honey and grated pumpkin.
   
   
6. Add the grated butter to the flour mixture, breaking apart any lumps so that the butter is distributed through the mixture.
   
   
7. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour, folding the mixture until everything is combined and no patches of flour remain. Do this in as few stirs as possible to avoid overworking the mixture (this will make the scones tough). 
   
   
8. Turn the mixture out onto a floured surface and with floured hands gently work the mixture, turning and folding a couple of times, until you have a ball. Press this to form a disc about 3 cm high and cut into 8 large wedges. You can use a cutter if you prefer, re-shaping any excess.
   
   
9. Arrange the scones on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 5cm between scones to allow for air flow and expansion in the oven. Brush a little milk over the scone surface and scatter with pumpkin seeds.
   
   
10. Bake for 12–14 mins until golden brown and transfer to a wire rack for cooling.