Sweet Potato Biscuits

Thanksgiving leftovers are - let's face it - the best part of the holiday. When I realized that we had a few cups of my mom's famous mashed sweet potatoes still in the fridge, I gathered my courage and asked myself: What would Paula Dean do? (WWPDD, if you want the bumper sticker). The answer was obvious. Sweet potato biscuits! What a great way to make the Thanksgiving holiday even more decadently, deliciously fattening.

I found this Paula Dean recipe (Fluffy Sweet Potato Biscuits) online. I made them about a quarter of an inch thick as opposed to a half an inch, so the portion sizes were smaller. The biscuits were very light and fluffy, but next time I make them, I will probably add more sweet potato in the mix, as the sweet potato flavor wasn't quite as strong as I had wanted.

Ingredients

1/3 to 1/2 cup whole milk, as needed

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small bits

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425oF, and grease baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sweet potato and 1/3 cup milk. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. 

Cut in the butter with your hands, a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. 

Add the sweet potato mixture and fold gently to combine. 

Add the remaining milk a little at a time until all the flour is moistened. The amount of milk you will need will depend on the moisture of the sweet potato.

Sprinkle a small handful of flour on a work surface. Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead lightly 2 to 3 times with the palm of your hand until the mixture comes together. Pat the dough out into a 1/2-inch-thick round.

Using a 2 1/2-inch-round biscuit cutter, cut the dough into biscuits. Gently reroll the scraps and cut out more biscuits. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and bake until light golden brown and firm to the touch, 12 to 14 minutes. Serve these fluffy biscuits warm or at room temperature.

about 2 dozen biscuits