When it comes to things that could greet you in the morning on a cold winter day, you could definitely do worse than this: a warm sweet potato biscuit, full of flaky layers and studded with dried cranberries and pineapple.
I know, I know. Gestational diabetes. Don’t worry – it’s still top of mind, but since my doctors have been telling me my numbers are being well controlled, I decided on a little splurge. It is Christmas, after all, and I wanted to make sure I had a truly special recipe lined up for our Christmas breakfast. This one had my boys written all over it (and I’m not telling anyone but you how truly easy it is.)
After a few baking fails this season (flat vegan chocolate chip cookies, burnt gingerbread men, the list goes on…) I was feeling a little discouraged. But this one seems fail-proof. It takes no time at all to put together in the mixer, and I only had to take one look at the rich, beautiful dough to know that I’d be making these again.
Once I cut the biscuits, they were so pretty I almost didn’t want to bake them!
So, as the sunlight peeked through the blinds on a beautiful Sunday before Christmas Eve, I took a moment to spoil ME. The low-carb plan went right back into effect, and my moment of weakness was worth every bite!
Now, anyone care to help me finish up the rest of the batch?
Time-saving Tip: Make extra sweet potatoes for Christmas dinner, then make these on the 26th!
Sweet Potato Biscuit Bars with Pineapple Glaze
Recipe courtesy of King Arthur Flour
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| Yield: | 8 biscuit bars |
biscuits
- 4 cups King Arthur Self-Rising Flour
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- 2 cups cooked sweet potato, packed
- 1/4 cup cold milk
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup dried pineapple, diced
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened (1/2 stick)
pineapple glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons pineapple juice powder, to taste (Note: I did not use this ingredient)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons pineapple juice, milk or water
1) Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the self-rising flour,allspice and dried fruits. Dice the cold butter into small cubes and work into the flour mixture until it resembles chunky granola, with some larger bits of butter still remaining.
3) Mix in the sweet potato and milk until you have a moist, cohesive dough. If the dough is on the drier side, add more milk until it is moist and slightly sticky.
4) Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and pat out to a 10″ x 14″ rectangle. Transfer the rectangle to one of your parchment-lined baking sheets and brush the dough with half of the softened butter.
5) Place the butter-topped dough into the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove and fold the dough in thirds, like a business letter. The cold layer of butter will help give flakiness to the final biscuits.
6) Repeat steps 4 and 5 once more. After you remove the dough from the freeze and fold, roll or pat the dough out to a rectangle once more and cut the dough into 8 bars, approximately 2″ x 4″. You can also cut traditional round or square biscuits if desired.
7) Place the cut biscuits onto the two baking sheets and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown slightly.
8) While the biscuits cool slightly, mix the glaze ingredients to a spreadable consistency. Brush over the warm biscuits and serve immediately. For a less sticky treat, you can cool the biscuits to room temperature before serving.
9) Yield: 8 biscuit bars (Not sure how, but I got 12 and they were plenty big!)
