Still, even if I’d do it a little differently next time, I’m pretty happy with the result. I mean, it’s not a very polished presentation, but it’s sort of a fun, autumn leaf scattering kind of color effect.
Simple Variation on Sri Lankan Butter Cake
Just added some shredded carrots. Kavi and I agree that this makes the cake very healthy, and thereby a suitable lunch option. The carrots also add a nice amount of moisture — a typical butter cake you’d want with frosting and maybe a bit of jam or curd, but this is very nice as is, or accompanying a cup of tea.
Don’t Forget the Powdered Sugar 🙂
Not Ideal
I tried mixing the pistachio, carrot, and candied orange separately into the three different colors of batter, and in retrospect, that wasn’t ideal. It meant that some parts of the cake ended up more moist, some more crunchy. I think this would be really good if you just mixed all those into the batter first, then, if you want to color it like this, divide and color.
Might As Well Go With It
See, the plan was to see whether I could make a more autumnal variation on a Sri Lankan butter cake, while still staying with Sri Lankan flavors. Why? No reason. This is just how my brain works, people. You might as well go with it…
Candied orange, pistachio, and carrot.
Nutty Nut Nuts
Chopped pistachios in Sri Lankan butter cake batter. I do like nuts. Nutty nut nuts. 
(Hm, maybe I shouldn’t be typing this early…)
Stirring candied orange into a Sri Lankan butter cake batter.
A little candied orange, festive, yes?
Still Technically Autumn, Right?
Finished up the Earth tier treat boxes and sent them out today. It’s supposed to be an autumn dragons theme — it’s still technically autumn, right? Until the solstice? Am I making that up? Shhh…
This is what goes in the Earth tier this time around:
• smoke marshmallow
• passionfruit / dragonfruit marshmallow
• tamarind-chili marshmallow
• rose, vanilla, and cardamom leaf cookies
• gruyere-crusted butternut squash scone
• spiced pumpkin muffins with cashew and crystallized ginger
• Sri Lankan rich cake (vegan)
• Neapolitan chocolate
• dragonfruit chocolate
• lime shortbread
• cashew-cranberry milk toffee
• autumn fennel candy
• botanical wood ornament
• botanical fairy tale bookmark
Whew!
Gruyere-Crusted Butternut Squash & Sage Scones
(45 minutes + roasting time; makes 16 mini scones)
I took my favorite winter squash soup as inspiration, and ran with it to create a cheesy autumnal squash scone recipe. The butternut and Gruyere play beautifully together, with just a hint of cayenne for welcome heat. Lovely on their own for a savory breakfast, or with a big bowl of soup for lunch or dinner. If you make a double batch (using the entire squash), you can freeze extras to pull out on a rainy day.
1 1/2 c. cooked butternut squash (about 1/2 a squash)
2 c. flour, plus extra for dusting
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cayenne
2 t. minced sage
3/4 t. salt
3/4 t. sugar
6 T cold butter, chopped
1 c. grated Gruyere, divided
2 eggs
milk for brushing
16 small sage leaves
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds (about 20g)
(NOTE: To cook squash, either roast at 400 for 30-45 minutes until tender, let cool, and peel. (Preferred, as it brings out the sweetness of the squash.) Alternatively, peel squash, chop into cubes, and place in a microwave-safe bowl with a tablespoon of water; cover bowl with plastic wrap and pierce it a few times, then microwave on high for 5-7 minutes until tender. Drain any excess water.)
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, cayenne, minced sage, and salt into a mixing bowl.
3. Work in the butter with your fingers to make an uneven crumbly mixture. Stir in half the cheese.
4. In a separate bowl, combine beaten eggs and puree. Add wet mixture to dry, and stir to create a fairly wet dough.
5. If you want to be able to roll out and shape these scones, you’ll need to add a little flour to get an appropriate texture. Alternatively, press dough into a molded scone pan (spray first with baking spray for easy release), or spoon onto parchment paper on a baking sheet for drop scones.
6. Brush each scone with a little milk; top with the remaining cheese. Press a few pumpkin seeds on top, and a sage leaf brushed with milk on both sides.
7. Bake 20-25 minutes until cooked through, with the cheese browning. Serve warm.
