Butternut Squash Cheddar Scones – What Jessica Baked Next

These scrummy scones make a tasty autumn lunch. Cheese scones are a British tea room favourite, put an autumn spin on the classic with the addition of sweet butternut squash and sage.

Scone recipes feature frequently on my blog. I have great recipes for both savoury and sweet scones. While, savoury scones are my personal favourite, this magical Lemonade Scones (3 Ingredient Recipe) has been a fabulous discovery and one of my most popular recipes!

In our house, we make these Cheesy Buttermilk Scones on many occasions, but as it’s autumn now, I wanted to put an autumnal spin on the popular cheese scone.

These scones are made just like any other scone recipe, though, you’ll need mashed butternut squash/pumpkin.

I roast mine in tin foil for 30 minutes until soft and mash-able! Alternatively, you can boil it until soft. It’s important once the butternut squash is cooked and mashed, to drain it over a sieve for at least 5 minutes to get rid of some of the excess water – the longer you drain it, the better.

I’ve added a couple of teaspoons of dried sage to my scone dough, but you can add any herbs or seasonings. Fresh or dried herbs like rosemary or some chives make a yummy addition too.

There’s a generous helping of grated cheese in this scone dough. I love using a good mature Cheddar cheese for a cheesy flavour-packed scone. Half the cheese goes in the scone dough and the other half is used to top the scones before baking.

I love that cheesy topping you get on one half. Whenever I eat a cheese scone, I always save the top half until last…

It’s the best part.

The scones before baking have the extra grated Cheddar sprinkled over the top. As the cheese bakes, it goes all melted and gooey. Any excess cheese around the sides of the scones, creates a tasty, crispy cheesy crust that’s great to nibble on!

If you wanted to, you could add some cooked bacon or vegan bacon if you’re vegetarian like me.

Soup season is here and why not switch a bread roll or slice of bread for one of these Butternut Squash, Cheddar and Sage Scones!

Once baked and you slice the scones in half, you’ll see the gorgeously vibrant orange interior.

These scones taste amazing, fresh from the oven and spread with soft butter. I found the flavour intensified the next day and I enjoyed the scones even more.

Butternut Squash, Cheddar and Sage Scones

Cheese scones are a British tea room favourite, put an autumn spin on the classic with the addition of sweet butternut squash and sage.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings 6

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

275 g butternut squash or pumpkin (peeled and deseeded)
225 g self-raising flour plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons dried sage
50 g butter (salted or unsalted) fridge cold and cut into small cubes
125 g mature Cheddar cheese coarsely grated
2-3 tablespoons milk plus extra for brushing

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7. Chop the butternut squash/pumpkin into rough 2cm pieces and wrap the butternut squash/pumpkin pieces in tin foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until tender.
Mash the pumpkin/squash until smooth and place in a sieve over a bowl to drain off any excess water and allow to cool slightly.
Sift the flour, baking powder and dried sage into a mixing bowl and season. Rub in the butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in half of the cheese.
Tip the butternut squash/pumpkin purée into the mixing bowl and use a table knife to start to blend it into the flour mixture. Add just enough milk to bring it together as a soft, but not sticky dough.
Turn the scone dough out onto a floured surface and pat out until roughly 2.5cm in thickness. Use a 6cm cutter to stamp out scones and transfer them to a baking tray lined with baking paper. I got about 6 scones from this mixture, but you might make more depending on your cutter.
Re-form the remaining dough to stamp out further rounds until all of it is used up. Top Tip: When cutting the scones from the dough, press down and, lift up, don't twist as this will cause an uneven rise.
Brush each scone with a little milk and top with the remaining cheese. Bake the scones 12-15 minutes until risen and golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
The scones will keep stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.