Have you ever wondered what to do with the inside of the pumpkin after you have hollowed it out to make a lantern?  Cook the flesh until soft and then use the puree to make some pumpkin scones.  They taste good with a little cheese and herbs mixed into the mixture or if you want to make them sweet add a little brown sugar and a pinch of ginger instead.

Makes: about 8-10

Ingredients

200g pumpkin flesh (or butternut squash)

225 g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

40 g butter

3 or 4 tablespoons milk

for savoury scones add:

• handful grated cheddar cheese
• handful fresh chopped coriander or parsley

OR for sweet scones add a pinch of ground ginger or cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar

1. Turn the oven on to 200C/400F/Gas mark 7.  Grease a baking sheet by rubbing it with a little butter or cut a piece of baking paper to fit.
2. Cut the pumpkin flesh into small pieces and put into a saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer until just tender - poke a fork into the pumpkin - it should go in easily.  
3. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.  Add the butter and using just your finger TIPS rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.  (If you use your whole hands you may melt the butter and end up in a sticky mess)
4. Use a table knife to mix the pumpkin puree into the flour mixture. Then add enough milk to make a dough - not too much or it will be too wet
5. Sprinkle a little flour on the table and onto your hands and very lightly knead the mixture for half a minute until it is smooth.
6. Pat the dough or roll with a rolling pin until it is about 3 cm thick.  Dip a round cutter into a little flour and cut out scones from the dough.  Put the scones onto the baking tray, spaced a little apart. You will need to keep gathering up bits of dough and roll them out again until you have made about 8-10 scones.
7. Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk and using oven gloves put the scones into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until risen and golden.  Use oven gloves to remove the tray from the oven and cool the scones on a wire rack.