Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Biscuits

The farmer next to us harvests his sweet potatoes in late September and it always turns my thoughts to autumn baking. Spiced sweet potato biscuits are the perfect bread with Thanksgiving dinner or to feature in a Christmas brunch. I include make-ahead directions below in “Tips” for easy holiday preparation.
Prep dough: 45 minutes Bake: 17 to 19 minutes Bake at: 425°F Yield: 16 biscuits Pan: baking sheet Difficulty: easy Special Equipment: 2 3/8-inch biscuit cutter

Ingredients

Vanilla Glaze

  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Biscuit Dough

  • One 15-ounce can sweet potatoes, drained
  • 3/4 cup cold buttermilk plus 1 to 2 tablespoons if needed
  • 3 cups (360 grams) White Lily or all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (see “Tips”)
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
  • Parchment paper

Directions

  • Drain the canned sweet potatoes in a colander and set aside.

Making the Vanilla Glaze

  • In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium heat.
  • Stir the mixture to dissolve the sugar and continue boiling for 1 minute.
  • Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let the syrup cool to room temperature.

Making the Biscuit Dough

  • Mash the sweet potato with 3/4 cup buttermilk until no lumps remain.
  • In a large bowl, sift together the flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spice. Slice the butter into 1/4-inch pieces, scatter over the top, and cut into the flour mixture to the size of small peas. Blend in the sweet potato mixture. If the dough is slightly dry, add up to 2 tablespoons buttermilk to make a soft dough, but do not let the dough get wet.
  • Turn out the dough onto a floured board and knead lightly until it comes together.

Forming the Biscuits

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Pat the dough into a rectangle. Fold the dough in half and roll once or twice. Repeat 4 times and then roll out the dough to 1/2-inch thickness.
  • Using a 2 3/8-inch floured cutter, press the cutter straight down and pull straight up to cut out dough rounds; do not twist. Place the rounds on the baking sheet with sides touching. Put the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill the dough rounds while the oven preheats.
  • Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Baking the Biscuits

  • Bake the biscuits for 17 to 19 minutes until delicately browned.
  • As soon as you remove the baking sheet from the oven, brush the vanilla glaze over the tops of the biscuits.
  • Let the biscuits cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Serve the biscuits warm.
  • Wrap and store the biscuits at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Tips

  • If you don’t keep pumpkin pie spice on hand, substitute 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
  • To make ahead for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas morning, prepare the dough rounds and store in the refrigerator (overnight) covered with a damp cloth, or freeze them, until ready to bake.
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