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.
SWEET POTATO BISCUITS
Servings: 16
Start to finish: 1 hour, 30 minutes
2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, unpeeled, lightly pricked all over with fork
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 1/4 cups (13 ounces) cake flour
1/4 cup packed (13/4 ounces) dark brown sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled, plus
2 tablespoons melted
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
Nutrition information per serving: 265 calories; 93 calories from fat; 10 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 19 mg cholesterol; 450 mg sodium; 39 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 3 g protein.
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