Sweet Potato Biscuits

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is not the food of my people. I was raised on sour dough, seeded rye and grain so whole it could crack your teeth. Biscuits, save for shortbread, were not in my purview and I was well into my thirties before I figuratively crossed the Mason-Dixon line and had a true cream biscuit. I loved it, vowed to master its making, but, instead, went home and again made cinnamon buns and kaiser rolls. The foods of a lifetime are the ones learned in the kitchen's of our childhood. Biscuit had no place in my early memories, so they slid from my culinary radar. Then fate intervened and sent a Southern son-in-law my way. Biscuits and their mastery became important as we tried to weave the traditions of his childhood into those of our table. While striving for mastery, I came across a feature that caught my eye and changed the direction in which I was heading. Adam Ried, in an article written for The Boston Globe, claimed, "The wedding of biscuit to sweet potato is an occasion of culinary bliss." Pushing hyperbole aside, I was intrigued by his claim and decided to try his recipe. It makes moist and tender biscuits with a riveting color that comes from roasted and caramelized sweet potatoes. I really like these, but they are not a mix and bake affair. Their execution requires planning and they are a poor choice for a busy kitchen with limited hands to help. If you make these at a time you are not under stress, I think you'll be delighted with the results. Here's the recipe.

Sweet Potato Biscuits...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Adam Ried

Ingredients:
1 medium-large sweet potato, about 14 ounces
1/4 cup cold buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for patting out dough and cutting biscuits
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Pinch cayenne
Salt and black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into roughly 1/2-inch cubes

Directions:
1) Set oven rack in middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet (roughly 18 by 13 inches) with parchment paper or a silicone liner, and set aside.
2) Prick sweet potato in several spots with a fork. Place it on a small baking sheet, and bake until tender, about 1-1/4 hours. Cut potato open, peel back skin (to release steam), cool it to room temperature, about 40 minutes. Peel off skin, and roughly mash flesh (you should have about 1-1/2 cups). Add buttermilk, mix very well, and set aside. Again preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3) In a food processor, process 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper until well blended. Scatter butter pieces evenly over flour mixture in food processor and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 6 2-second pulses. Add sweet potato mixture in dollops in several spots over flour and butter mixture, and pulse until flour and sweet potato mixtures combine and just begin to come together into a light-orange dough mass, 10 to 15 2-second pulses.
4) Generously flour a clean work surface, turn out dough, and sprinkle top with flour. Knead dough gently, folding it in half and rotating it 3 or 4 times, just until it is uniform and cohesive (try to keep the kneading to a minimum). Sprinkle a little bit more flour on the work surface and dough to prevent sticking, if necessary, and gently pat the dough into a circle that is roughly 8 inches in diameter and 1 inch high (the height is more important than the shape or diameter, which may vary). Dip a sharp 2-1/2-inch biscuit cutter into flour and using brisk, decisive, straight-down punches (avoid rotating or twisting cutter in dough), cut out rounds of dough as close to one another as possible (to maximize the number of rounds), dipping cutter into flour before each new cut. Transfer dough rounds to prepared baking sheet, positioning them about 1 inch apart. Push dough scraps together and knead them gently once or twice until cohesive. Again pat out the dough until it is 1 inch high, dip cutter into flour, and in same manner as before, cut out as many dough rounds as possible, and transfer them to the baking sheet with first batch.
5) Bake until biscuits are puffed, light golden on top, and deep brown on bottom, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking time for even cooking. Transfer biscuits to a wire rack, cool for about 15 minutes, and serve warm. Yield: 10 to 12 biscuits.

Cook's note: Variations of sweet potato biscuits can be found here.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Drop Biscuits with Cheddar Cheese and Garlic - One Perfect Bite
Blueberry Biscuits - The Runaway Spoon
Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits - Salad in a Jar
Berry Biscuit Cups - Cooking Stuff
Biscuits in Sausage Gravy - Chaos in the Kitchen
Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits - Foodie Memoirs
Southern Buttermilk Biscuits - Katy's Kitchen

Horner's Corner Plum Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Oven duty began early this morning. There's been a death in a neighbor's family and I wanted to get a loaf of their favorite plum bread to them while it was still warm and fragrant. When I make this kind of visit, I'm confounded by the way we mark the measure of a man and his passing. A life, a good life of 80 years, is over and can't be summarized in the seven lines of his obituary. Those who mark his passing will take those lines and, from them, weave the history that is his life and share it with each other. He was not a religious man, so, most likely, this story will be told at the table as they break bread together. Friends and neighbors will assure that none who gather to tell that story will go hungry. Food has become an important part of all our rituals. This bread is but one of many offerings that will be shared as his story is re-told.

Plum Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite


Ingredients:
1 cup pitted dried plums, coarsely chopped
3 cups all-purpose flour + flour for kneading
1 cup whole wheat flour
4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon honey, divided use
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Directions:
1) Toss plums with 1 tablespoon flour. Set aside. Combine 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, yeast and salt in bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add sweet potatoes, milk, 1/4 cup honey and oil. Beat with a paddle attachment until smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in reserved 1-1/2 cups flour and mix to form a soft dough.
2) Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Knead plums into dough. Place dough into a bowl coated with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Turn to coat top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3) Punch down and turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 3 potions. Roll each portion into a rope about 15-inches long. Braid ropes, pinching ends to seal. Place braid on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover and let rise until double in bulk, about 30 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake bread for 40 minutes, or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove pan from oven and place on a cooling rack. Mix reserved 1 tablespoon honey with orange juice and brush over exposed surfaces of bread. Yield: 1 large loaf.

You might also enjoy these recipes:

Lemon and Blueberry Sweet Bread - One Perfect Bite
Lemon Poppyseed Bread - One Perfect Bite
(Almost) Irish Soda Bread - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:

Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting

Moroccan Shepherd's Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I can't let the first day of fall pass without posting something appropriately autumnal. Nor can I lie to you. The thermostat here reads 90 degrees and the temperature is forecast to rise, so I won't be making this today. I did, however, make it last Saturday when the weather here was really nasty. That led me to an old contest recipe and a dinner featuring this Moroccan shepherd's pie. When you see the spicing, you'll see how this old classic got its new name. The recipe calls for a topping of sweet potatoes or squash and we have a lot of that in the house right now. I thought this would be a great way to make a dent in the supply. Now, you may like the recipe or you may hate the recipe, but whatever your verdict, I think you'll agree it's not ho-hum. Here's my Moroccan shepherd's pie.

Moroccan Shepherd's Pie...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Sweet Potato Topping:
2 pounds peeled sweet potatoes, cut in 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup low-fat sour cream
1/3 cup chopped scallions
Salt and pepper to taste
Lamb Filling:
2 pounds ground lamb
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup finely minced yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup petite peas, thawed if frozen
1 cup diced carrots, thawed if frozen
1/2 cup dried raisins or cranberries
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons chopped scallions (green tops only)

Directions:
1) To make the sweet potato: Place sweet potatoes in a medium (2 to 3-quart) saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat; cook for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Return potatoes to saucepan; mash with a potato masher. Add sour cream; beat with a wooden spoon to blend. Fold in scallions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover pan. Set aside.
2) To make the lamb filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mist an 8 x 8 x 2-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place lamb in a large mixing bowl; add cumin, coriander, cinnamon , salt and pepper and mix with a wooden spoon until well blended. Place lamb in a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet; cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to break meat apart, until meat is brown, about 10 minutes. Scrape meat into a large bowl. Add oil to skillet in which meat cooked. Stir in onions; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Fold in parsley, peas and carrots and cook 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Stir in cranberries and vinegar. Add onion mixture to lamb. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add egg; stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate.
3) To assemble: Scrape lamb into prepared casserole dish. Spoon potatoes over filling; spray top with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 45 minutes, or until heated through and potatoes begin to brown. Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with green onion tops. Yield: 8 servings.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salsa

Isn't this pretty? I've always found it hard to come up with vegetables to serve with with Mexican food. I'm not fond of the colors or tastes of the usual suspects, but the sparkling colors and piquant flavor of this salsa have solved the problem. If you're tired of gray vegetables and tinned tomatoes I hope you'll try this. It will give a real lift to your palate. While I serve the salsa in tortilla bowls, that really isn't necessary - it does, however, add pizzazz to the presentation. If you plan to serve the salsa with chips I suggest you cut the ingredients in smaller pieces than that recommended in the recipe. I use pickled jalapeno peppers to insure a constant amount of heat. There are times when the jalapenos in the market are as sweet as bell peppers and that just won't do in this recipe. I know you're going to like this one!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients:
2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 large) peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 tablespoon water
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut in 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup minced red onion
3 tablespoons chopped and drained jalapeno peppers from a jar
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed, drained and patted dry
Juice of 3 large limes
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Leaf lettuce
Tortilla bowls

Directions:
1) Place cubed sweet potatoes in a large (5-quart) microwavable bowl with a lid. Add 1 tablespoon water to bowl, cover, and microwave on HIGH power for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. Potatoes must be tender but still retain their shape. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper toweling and allow to dry for 5 minutes.
2) Place sweet potatoes, red, green and yellow peppers, onion, chopped jalapeno peppers, black beans, lime juice and cilantro in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 1 hour to chill ingredients.
3) Line tortilla bowls with lettuce leaves. Spoon salsa into bowl. Yield 4 to 6 servings.

This is my entry for the February Potato Ho Down event sponsored and hosted this month by Cathy who blogs at Noble Pig.