Sweet Potato Biscuits using Sweet Potato Puree

Sweet Potato Biscuits

I made Sweet Potato Biscuits for the first time on Thanksgiving a few years ago. My family had decided to ditch the traditional Thanksgiving menu, in favor of trying all new recipes. We swapped the turkey for a huge beef roast and pitched in to make side dishes like Cauliflower Gratin, Tuscan Kale Salad, and Green Bean Salad.

Oh man, it was a feast. Instead of the usual yeast rolls, I made Martha Stewart’s Sweet Potato Biscuits. They quickly gained a spot on our regular recipe rotation. They are delicious, whether drizzled with butter and honey or served as a platform for biscuits & gravy.

I used to only associate sweet potatoes with one super sweet holiday side dish topped with mini marshmallows, but they are a tasty way to add a little color to any winter day. Sweet potatoes are a healthy, economical option in the produce department this time of year.

For this recipe, look for that trademark orange sweet potato; often they are labeled as Jewel or Garnet Yams. Check out our post on the difference between yams and sweet potatoes to better understand what to look for.

Seriously, that color is ridiculous. In fact, the first time I was pulsing the sweet potato puree in my food processor, I was so excited about the color that I called my husband into the kitchen to see it. He happily humored me and even acted interested. What a great guy. My apologies if your life isn’t as exciting as ours.

The puree called for in this recipe will give you more than needed for these biscuits. Which is great if, like me, you have a hungry, sweet (potato eating) baby in the house. It makes the silkiest, smoothest baby food puree.

Sweet potato puree will keep in either the refrigerator or the freezer. Pull it out for another batch of biscuits or stir it into other dishes. For example, I added two big spoonfuls to beef stew last night. Delicious.

Sweet Potato Biscuits are light and flaky and buttery. They’re everything a biscuit should be with just a touch of sweetness. Even if you have never made biscuits from scratch before, this recipe is totally doable for a beginning baker.

After mixing together the dry ingredients, you cut in the butter until you have small pea-sized pieces throughout the flour. Normally, I hate this tedious step. However, by grating the butter with a cheese grater, it makes this step so simple. The butter stays cold and gets incorporated throughout the dough in small bits which is exactly what you want to produce flaky layers of buttery goodness.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe. Makes 8 biscuits.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups flour
2 T. brown sugar
2 1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
6 T. chilled unsalted butter (learn about the difference between salted & unsalted butter)
3/4 cup Sweet-Potato Puree (steps below)
1/3 cup buttermilk or milk

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut or grate in the butter.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the purée and buttermilk; stir into the flour mixture until combined.
3. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead very gently until dough comes together but is still slightly lumpy, five or six times. Shape into a disk, and pat to an even 1″ thickness.
4. With a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits as close together as possible. Gather together scraps, and repeat to cut out more biscuits.
5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat an 8-inch cake pan with butter or cooking spray. Arrange biscuits snugly in pan to help them stay upright.
6. Bake until golden, 20-24 minutes.

Homemade Sweet Potato Puree

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks water

1. In a large saucepan, cover the sweet potatoes with water. Bring to a boil. Cook until tender, 15-20 minutes.
2. Drain potatoes; puree in a food processor or blender. Cool on the counter or in the refrigerator. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

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I am ready to replace my bent, rusty (ugh, it’s true) biscuit cutters with these RSVP Round Biscuit Cutters (Amazon). The set of four are sturdy and right around $10, with over 600 reviews and a 4.5-star rating.

Looking for more delicious Fall recipes?

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