SWEET POTATO BISCUITS

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

It was only a matter of time before sweet potato– loving Southern cooks combined the fluffy texture and pleasant tang of biscuits with the earthy sweetness of this popular tuber. To add this potato’s natural sweetness to biscuits without weighing down the dough,
we microwaved the sweet potatoes, which eliminated their moisture while concentrating their flavor. After mashing the flesh, we stirred in cider vinegar to mimic buttermilk’s tang and to create greater lift once combined with the dough’s baking powder and baking soda. We maximized the biscuits’ tender texture with low-protein cake flour and opted for the deep, molasses-like sweetness of brown sugar to complement the sweet potatoes. The dough took on a pretty orange color, and, once baked, the biscuits emerged tender and subtly sweet, perfectly ready for a smear of butter or jam, or to be sliced and stuffed with ham and mustard. If you can find them, Beauregard sweet potatoes are the best variety for these biscuits. The biscuits can be stored in airtight container for up to two days.

MAKES: 16 biscuits

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• PREPARE THE SWEET POTATOES

• • Microwave 2½ pounds sweet potatoes on a plate until very soft and surfaces are wet, 15 to 20 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes.
  • Immediately cut potatoes in half.
  • When potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop flesh into a large bowl and mash until smooth using a potato masher. (You should have 2 cups. Reserve any extra for another use.)
  • Stir in 2 tablespoons cider vinegar and refrigerate until cool, about 15 minutes.

• PREPARE DOUGH

• • Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Process 3¼ cups (13 ounces) cake flour, ¼ cup packed (1¾ ounces) dark brown sugar, 5 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and 1½ teaspoons salt in a food processor until combined.
  • Scatter 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled) and 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening (cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled) over the top and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 15 pulses.
  • Transfer flour mixture to the bowl with the cooled sweet potatoes and fold with a rubber spatula until incorporated.
  • Turn out the dough onto a floured counter and knead until smooth, 8 to 10 times.
  • Pat the dough into a 9-inch circle, about 1 inch thick.
  • Using a floured 2¼-inch round cutter, stamp out biscuits and arrange them on the prepared sheet.
  • Gently pat dough scraps into a 1-inch-thick circle and stamp out the remaining biscuits. (You should have 16 biscuits total.)

• BAKE AND SERVE

• • Brush the tops of the biscuits with 2 tablespoons melted butter and bake until golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes.
  • Let the biscuits cool on the sheet for 15 minutes before serving.