Sweet treats

Roasted plum, thyme and cinnamon scones

Makes approximately 8 scones

Capture the flavours of autumn with our tempting recipe for roasted plum, thyme and cinnamon scones. While this recipe takes a little time to prepare, the results are well worth it. We love them served warm with a little salted butter. Delicious!

Autumn is the perfect time for enjoying plums. This seasonal fruit is ideal for supporting our immune system as plums are a good source of vitamin C. What’s more, they’re a fantastic source of potassium – a mineral that helps to regulate our blood sugar.

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Ingredients

    For the roasted plums

    • 3 plums, cut into wedges
    • 1 star anise
    • 3 thyme sprigs
    • 2 tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

    For the scone batter

    • 400g self-raising wholemeal flour
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 tsp cinnamon
    • 2 tsp ground ginger
    • 1 lemon, zest
    • 1 tbsp thyme leaves
    • 85g cold or frozen butter, cut into small cubes
    • 3 tbsp coconut sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla essence
    • 170ml buttermilk
    • Beaten organic egg for glazing

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
    2. Put the plum wedges, star anise, thyme sprigs, maple syrup and ground cloves onto a small baking tray and mix so the plums are covered in the ‘marinade’. Roast for ten minutes until soft. Remove and allow to cool. Discard the thyme sprigs and star anise.
    3. Place a large baking tray lined with baking paper into the oven.
    4. Place the flour, baking powder, salt, spices, lemon zest and thyme in a food processor and pulse once or twice to combine. Add the butter and pulse again until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add the coconut sugar and pulse once or twice to combine. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
    5. Mix the vanilla, buttermilk and roasted plums together, and add to the dry ingredients. Quickly stir the mixture using a cutlery knife until it comes together. If it is very wet, add a little more flour.
    6. Transfer to your work surface that is sprinkled with extra flour and dredge your hands in flour too. Fold the dough over two or three times until it is a little smoother, but do not knead it. The dough will be slightly wetter than regular scone dough due to the plums. Pat the dough out slightly until it is 4cm thick, and plunge a cookie cutter into the dough, cutting out circular shapes. If there is any dough leftover, press that together and use the cookie cutter to make another round.
    7. Remove the baking tray from the oven, and carefully place the scones on it. Brush the tops with a little beaten egg, then return the tray to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Serve warm with salted butter.

    Note: You can use almond milk or a gluten-free flour if preferred.