Sweet Potato Buttermilk Biscuits

     I found the recipe for these Sweet Potato Buttermilk Biscuits in an eighties cookbook called Savory Southwest, Prize Winning Recipes From the Arizona Republic.  It's a great way to use up leftover sweet potatoes and to disguise a vegetable from the finicky eaters in your household.  One large microwaved sweet potato yielded just under a cup when mashed.  The batter is on the wet side, when I make them again I won't even bother to roll them out but drop them into my dutch oven by spoonfuls.  Bake them in a 10 inch oven if you can, placing them close together will help them rise higher.  These were ready in 15 minutes with 8 coals in a ring around the bottom and the top completely covered with briquettes.  Sweet, lovely in color and good for you too, serve them with honey, apple butter or even as sandwiches with sliced ham and dijon mustard. 

Sweet Potato Buttermilk Biscuits
2 cups flour
2 Tblsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tblsp sugar
1 Tblsp packed brown sugar
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces OR 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes

     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven
     Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugars.
     Cut in butter or shortening with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse corn meal.
     Combine buttermilk and potatoes and add to mixture.
     Turn onto floured surface and knead 8-10 times.  Roll or pat dough to 3/4 inch thickness, cut with 2 inch biscuit cutter.  Biscuits can also be dropped by large spoonfuls into oven.
     Place side by side in bottom of prepared oven.  Bake at 450 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until biscuits have risen and are lightly browned.
     Makes 10 biscuits.

Mix buttermilk with mashed sweet potato then add to flour mixture

Makes 9 large biscuits, just the right amount for a 10 inch oven

After 18 minutes in a hot oven

Moist and light on the inside, crispy on the outside