For some reason, biscuits are something I don’t usually think to make. But when I came across a biscuit recipe that used sweet potatoes and golden raisins, I just had to give it a try! Now, these biscuits are an enigma of flavor. Between the brown sugar, sweet potatoes, and golden raisins, I was expecting something more like a dessert-for-brunch type of biscuit, but I was pleasantly surprised by the dominating savory flavors of butter and cayenne. Furthermore, undertones of cheddar even seemed present despite a lack of any cheese in these biscuits, a false notion only further advanced by their orange color from the sweet potatoes. Healthy beta carotene in disguise! The mind games just never end with this one.

Golden Raisin Studded Spicy

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Makes 4 2″ biscuits (Recipe adapted from Food Network)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour, plus more as necessary
• 1/2 cup white wheat flour
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or less for more mild flavor)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and diced, divided
• 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato, cold
• 2 tbsp buttermilk
• 2 tbsp golden raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cayenne. Put dry mixture into a food processor. Add in 2.5 tbsp cold, cubed butter (reserving 1/2 tbsp to be melted and brushed on top of the biscuits later) and process (by pulsing a few times) until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
3. Stir together sweet potato and buttermilk in a separate bowl until smooth. Add to the food processor and process until the dough is just combined and leaves the side of the bowl.
4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead in raisins, also working in up to 2 tbsp additional flour if dough is too sticky (although knead dough minimally for best results). Pat dough into a disk about 1-1.5 inches thick and cut out biscuits with a 2″ round cutter. Gather scraps and repeat with remaining dough.
5. Place biscuits on a baking sheet 1/2 inch apart. Brush with reserved butter (melted) and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.