Chinese Pumpkin

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To purchase canned pumpkin in Tianjin is rather expensive.  I have found that the Chinese have many varieties of fresh pumpkin that work just as well, or even better, when recipes call for pumpkin puree.

Here’s a picture of a rather large pumpkin I can buy at the local vegetable market.  It takes a little work to cut, cook, peel, and puree, but in the end I am left with many 1-cup packages of fresh pumpkin that I can use at present or freeze and use at a later time.

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Last cold and rainy Sunday afternoon, I decided use my fresh pumpkin and make these easy Pumpkin Scones.    A side benefit being that, keeping the oven on helps to take the chill out of the air in our apartment, since we don’t have heat yet.   See recipe below,  Happy Baking

Pumpkin_scone

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients: 

2 cups whole wheat flour 
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup canned pumpkin (or fresh cooked and mashed) 
2 eggs
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
½ cup cold butter, cubed or grated
½ cup pecan (optional)
½ cup mini chocolate chips (optional) 


Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease cookie sheet or cast iron scone pan (if you have one). 

In a small bowl, combine pumpkin, cream, vanilla and ONE egg.  Stir well and place in refrigerator.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, spices, and sugar.  Using a pastry blender or fork work the cold butter cubes into the dry ingredients, until mixture resembles a crumbly consistency.  Add the cold pumpkin mixture, pecans and chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.  Only stir until combined.  

On a floured surface knead dough slightly to finish combining dry ingredients.  Form into an 8-inch square about an inch thick.  Cut the square into four large squares.  Then slice each across the diagonal to form 8 triangles.  In a small bowl beat the remaining egg.  Brush each scone with egg, then sprinkle with sugar and top with more pecan pieces.  

Bake for 15–17 minutes.  Do not over bake or scones will dry out.

One thought on “Chinese Pumpkin”

  1. When these came out of the oven and Jessie offered me one, I said, ‘No thanks, I don’t like the taste of chocolate with pumpkin. But after you urged me I took a bite and it was sooo scrumptious. Yum.

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