No clever title needed for this post, these three magic words sell themselves: Sweet. Potato. Biscuits.

There are few things more comforting than buttery, sweet, tender, flaky biscuits hot out of the oven. These are man-catcher biscuits. (Feminist disclaimer: sorry, they are.)

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes

I love the simplicity and speed of this recipe. No lengthy rising time or heavy kneading. No fancy gadgets. I literally used a fork to mash and whisk, and my fingers to cut the butter.

Important to note when making biscuits, use a light hand. Don’t over-handle them or else the biscuits may lose their airiness. If you prefer taller biscuits, you may want to pat the dough higher than 1-inch before cutting them out since they don’t rise as much as you’d expect.

Butter warning: these are Paula Deen-approved. They’re biscuits. They are love and goodness in sweet buttery form. Mmmm, Bis…cuits…

The original recipe from Bon Appetit suggests serving these sweet potato biscuits with ham, mustard, and honey. I can also attest to the amazingness of a sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich made with one of them. Or, simply split one open, spread some honey and a melty pat of butter on it, and prepare to swoon.

Sweet potato biscuits

Sweet potato biscuits

Sweet Potato Biscuits

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Sweet Potato Biscuits

Yield: Makes 6-8 biscuits

From Molly Wizenberg’s "Sweet Potato Biscuits with Ham, Mustard, and Honey” (Bon Appetit, December 2009)

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4-pound red-skinned sweet potato (yam), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup chilled buttermilk

Instructions

  1. Cook sweet potato in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, cool, and mash. (Updated Note: I've since found that baking the potato develops its flavor better than boiling.)
  2. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Butter bottom and sides of 9-inch cake pan with 1 1/2-inch-high sides.
  3. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Add cubed butter to flour mixture; toss to coat and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.
  4. Whisk 3/4 cup mashed sweet potatoes and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Add to flour mixture; toss with fork.
  5. Gather mixture in bowl, kneading until dough comes together. Turn dough out onto floured work surface and pat into 1-inch-thick round. Using 1 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits, flouring cutter after each cut. Gather scraps; pat into 1-inch-thick round. Cut out additional biscuits (do not reuse scraps more than once).
  6. Arrange biscuits side by side in prepared cake pan. Brush with melted butter. Bake until puffed and golden on top and tester inserted into center biscuit comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Turn biscuits out and gently pull them apart. Serve immediately.
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