Kabocha Squash Scones
かぼちゃスコーン
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
These little scones get their gentle sweetness and golden color from kabocha squash, so they need nothing fancy to win children over. Using pancake mix keeps the method short: mash, mix, fold, cut, and bake. Folding the dough a few times before cutting gives the scones soft layers that pull apart nicely in small hands, and the squash keeps them moist rather than crumbly. At preschool this is the kind of afternoon snack that disappears quickly, and it is just as easy to make at home.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 20.3 gkabocha squashSweet, dense Japanese pumpkin with dark green skin and orange flesh. Substitute: Butternut squash or another sweet winter squash.
- 40.5 gpancake mixJapanese 'hotcake mix' is a sweetened pancake mix of flour, sugar, and leavening, often used as a shortcut baking mix. Brands differ, and some contain milk or egg, so check the label if you are cooking for a food allergy. Substitute: Sweetened pancake mix, or self-rising flour plus about 2 tablespoons sugar per 100 g.
- 6 gmilk
Seasonings
- 9 gunsalted butter
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- kabocha squash (かぼちゃ)
- Sweet, dense Japanese pumpkin with dark green skin and orange flesh. Substitute: Butternut squash or another sweet winter squash.
- pancake mix (ホットケーキミックス)
- Japanese 'hotcake mix' is a sweetened pancake mix of flour, sugar, and leavening, often used as a shortcut baking mix. Brands differ, and some contain milk or egg, so check the label if you are cooking for a food allergy. Substitute: Sweetened pancake mix, or self-rising flour plus about 2 tablespoons sugar per 100 g.
Directions
- 1
Put the frozen kabocha squash in a microwave-safe bowl and add 1 tbsp of water (not included in the ingredient list). Cover loosely with plastic wrap and microwave at 1200W for about 1 minute. Remove the skin, mash the squash, then stir in the melted butter.
- 2
Add the pancake mix and cut it in with a spatula until combined, then add the milk and bring the dough together.
- 3
Once the dough comes together in a single mass, flatten it out, then fold it over three times, turning it in a different direction each time. Cut into pieces with a knife and arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- 4
Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) for about 20 minutes.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 229.5 kcal | 459 kcal | 229.5 kcal |
| Protein | 3.8 g | 7.5 g | 3.8 g |
| Fat | 9.5 g | 18.9 g | 9.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 34.7 g | 69.3 g | 34.7 g |
| Fiber | 1.5 g | 3 g | 1.5 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Calcium | 52.5 mg | 105 mg | 52.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 190.5 mg | 381 mg | 190.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 229.5 kcal | 3.8 g | 9.5 g | 34.7 g | 1.5 g | 0.5 g | 52.5 mg | 0.3 mg | 190.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 459 kcal | 7.5 g | 18.9 g | 69.3 g | 3 g | 0.9 g | 105 mg | 0.6 mg | 381 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
