There are several "Fall Quick Breads" demos on my schedule, so I've been experimenting with pumpkin scones. Still haven't got it quite right, so no photo or recipe yet, but it will be coming soon. In the meantime, here is the recipe for Apricot Chutney that I'm blending with cream cheese to use as a filling for the pumpkin scones.
Apricot Chutney
1 30-oz can of apricot halves in heavy syrup
2 cups golden raisins
½ cup freshly minced onion
1 or 2 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. powdered ginger
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
¼ tsp. ground cumin
pinch of ground cloves
Remove apricot halves from syrup and coarsely chop them. Place chopped apricots, about half the heavy syrup, and the raisins and onion into a medium size saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring constantly. (Discard remaining syrup.) Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
I should add here that I adapted this recipe somewhat for the current baking sessions. I have fresh hot red peppers coming in from the garden, so I minced about a half a pepper instead of using the dried stuff. I also used fresh ginger and subbed a minced garlic clove for the onion, and added a teaspoon of roasted and freshly ground coriander. Chutneys come in lots of different combinations of spices, so you should do a little research and then experiment.
By the way, mix some of this spicy-sweet chutney with whipped cream cheese, and you’ve got a delicious spread to put on top of turkey sandwiches or toasted bagels, and it's excellent all by itself on top of Belgian waffles, too.
UPDATE AFTER BREAKFAST SATURDAY MORNING
I served the pumpkin scones with the apricot chutney/cream cheese filling, and they were all eaten. But after trying one myself I think I have too many things going on at once in this recipe: the spices in the chutney were co-opted by the spices in the scone dough, so nothing was distinct about the filling, plus the scone needed a little more salt. (This last, entirely accurate observation came from Chef Ron our kitchen manager). Think I'll try two more versions: one with just the chutney and another with a filling made with creamcheese sweetened with powdered sugar and beaten with an egg, which should yield a custardy, cheesecake-y kind of filling (I hope!). Plus my friend Yvonne wants a gluten free version. I love having so many ideas to explore! Unlike Julie Powell having meltdowns on her way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I don't have a soul-destroying government job and a horrible commute, so this seems more like play than work.
Apricot Chutney
1 30-oz can of apricot halves in heavy syrup
2 cups golden raisins
½ cup freshly minced onion
1 or 2 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. powdered ginger
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
¼ tsp. ground cumin
pinch of ground cloves
Remove apricot halves from syrup and coarsely chop them. Place chopped apricots, about half the heavy syrup, and the raisins and onion into a medium size saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring constantly. (Discard remaining syrup.) Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
I should add here that I adapted this recipe somewhat for the current baking sessions. I have fresh hot red peppers coming in from the garden, so I minced about a half a pepper instead of using the dried stuff. I also used fresh ginger and subbed a minced garlic clove for the onion, and added a teaspoon of roasted and freshly ground coriander. Chutneys come in lots of different combinations of spices, so you should do a little research and then experiment.
By the way, mix some of this spicy-sweet chutney with whipped cream cheese, and you’ve got a delicious spread to put on top of turkey sandwiches or toasted bagels, and it's excellent all by itself on top of Belgian waffles, too.
UPDATE AFTER BREAKFAST SATURDAY MORNING
I served the pumpkin scones with the apricot chutney/cream cheese filling, and they were all eaten. But after trying one myself I think I have too many things going on at once in this recipe: the spices in the chutney were co-opted by the spices in the scone dough, so nothing was distinct about the filling, plus the scone needed a little more salt. (This last, entirely accurate observation came from Chef Ron our kitchen manager). Think I'll try two more versions: one with just the chutney and another with a filling made with creamcheese sweetened with powdered sugar and beaten with an egg, which should yield a custardy, cheesecake-y kind of filling (I hope!). Plus my friend Yvonne wants a gluten free version. I love having so many ideas to explore! Unlike Julie Powell having meltdowns on her way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I don't have a soul-destroying government job and a horrible commute, so this seems more like play than work.
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