We have made many converts to the beauty and wonderful flavor of scratch biscuits. Many people seem to think they’re difficult to make just right or that they take a lot of time. But the truth is they can be whipped up relatively quickly and easily. And the taste difference will convince you no canned or pre-made biscuits can ever compete.
Sometimes, you might want something a little different in your biscuit, especially if you make them as often as we do in The Bachelor’s Kitchen (by popular demand). Combine that with some leftover baked sweet potatoes and you have the makings of a new take on fluffy scratch biscuits.
Sweet potatoes are a great ingredient. They are as easy to cook and use as any other potato. But they have a natural sweetness and loads of nutrients.
In The Bachelor’s Kitchen one day, we had a couple of leftover baked sweet potatoes and we thought about making this new biscuit version. This used all ingredients you already have in your pantry. So, a trip to the store is not necessary.
For equipment, you need a large and medium mixing bowl, a potato masher, a cookie sheet, if your sweet potatoes aren’t already cooked you’ll need a medium saucepan.
As usual, this recipe is available in a more conventional format in our Recipes section.
First, cook the sweet potato which has been peeled and cut into cubes. Put a pot of water on high heat and bring it to a boil. Add the potato cubes and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until they are fork-tender. Drain and mash. You should have about one cup of sweet potato.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF with the rack in the center. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl: 2 cups of flour, a tablespoon each of baking powder and sugar, a half teaspoon of salt and grated nutmeg and a quarter teaspoon of baking soda.
In another bowl, whisk together the mashed sweet potato with ¾ cup of milk. Pour the wet into the dry and gently blend until a wet dough starts to form. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until it just comes together. Overworking the dough makes it tough.
Flatten the dough to about a one-inch thickness and use a biscuit cutter, 3-inch cookie cutter or a water glass dipped in flour to cut out biscuits. Combine the scraps and make a few more biscuits until it’s all used. Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and brush the tops with melted butter. Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. The finished biscuits should be a deep golden brown. After removing them from the oven, heavily brush the rest of the melted butter on the biscuits and let it soak in. They’re ready to eat as soon as they cool enough to handle them.
These biscuits are naturally sweet but not too sweet. They go great with a dab of preserves and a glass of milk.
