This recipe comes from my mom, who just baked these yummy biscuits last week. Light in texture, these are equally good as part of an hors d'oeuvre buffet or with dinner. They compliment pork, turkey, but they're also excellent for breakfast with some butter and honey.
I brought some extras home in a bag, and my son devoured them. After his 6th or 7th, he exclaimed "I don't know WHY I love these so much!" Actually, they are not that unhealthy for you since they use real sweet potatoes. We made the biscuits very small ( 1 1/2 inch) and it makes enough that you can freeze half and still have lots to serve.
SWEET POTATO-PECAN BISCUITS
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup milk
1. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using two knives or a pastry blender, cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Using a heavy spoon, stir in the sweet potatoes and pecans until the ingredients are just blended. Pour the milk over the mixture and stir until just blended in. Do not over-mix.
3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease two baking sheets. Turn the biscuit dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat into a rough rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough into circles with a 1 1/2 inch biscuit cutter and place them on the baking sheets.
4. Bake the biscuits for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes about 3 dozen 1-1/2 inch biscuits.
Note: Though they are at their best when freshly baked, the biscuits may be made ahead and frozen. Slightly under-bake them, cool, wrap tightly, and freeze up to a month. To reheat, thaw them completely and place them on a baking sheet in a 350 degree F oven for 5-7 minutes.
Orange-Sweet Potato Tea Biscuits. For a sweeter version to serve at breakfast or tea time, substitute 1/4 cup light brown sugar for the white sugar, substitute golden raisins for the pecans, and add 1 teaspoon grated orange rind. Cut into 2-inch biscuits and bake for 12-15 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen.
