Healthy Sweet Potato Biscuits With Recipe!

I started making these sweet potato biscuits a month back, and ever since I first tried one of these healthy, and delicious biscuits, I make them every week for breakfast. These biscuits turn out light and fluffy, and especially if you use whole wheat flour, they are very healthy! These biscuits are such a big hit with the Family - even the youngest one loves eating them. I can't wait until later this year when I get to make them with my freshly harvested sweet potatoes. This recipe also works for those who don't like sweet potatoes, simply just ignore all the steps that include sweet potatoes. I have never really had sweet potatoes before, but when I made them with this biscuit, they were delicious! I hope you enjoy making these biscuits as much as I do! Feel free to post any questions/ concerns you have in the comments! Thank you!

Supplies

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE THE SWEET POTATO BISCUITS:

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup cooked mashed sweet potato

1/4 - 1/2 cup whole milk, as needed

1 cup Whole Wheat flour (All-purpose flour works too, but I think it tastes better with whole wheat - plus it's healthier!)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter (cut into 9-12 small sized chunks)

Step 1: Prepare the Sweet Potatoes

In order for the sweet potatoes to retain their delicate flavor, it must first be properly cooked, if not, the sweet potato may lose its flavor, and become bland. Steaming a sweet potato in the oven helps to preserve the flavor better than boiling it. A sweet potato that is quickly cooked is not the proper way to cook it, causing the sweet potato to loose its flavor. Time is also an essential element is this process. Twenty minutes may be able to sufficiently bake a sweet potato for a quick snack, but to really develop its delicate flavor, it should be kept in the oven for at least an hour.

*Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees*

To begin, take two pieces of 12" tinfoil and place one on top of the other. Next, take your sweet potato and place it on top of the tin foil. Tightly roll the tinfoil over the sweet potato, so that no air can escape/ get in. Now it is time for the wait. Leave the sweet potato in the oven to bake/steam for about 45-60 minutes, or until it is soft and able to be mashed. How long it takes to bake depends on the size of the potato - the smaller the potato the less time it takes, and vice versa.

Step 2: Mashing the Sweet Potato

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Mashed Sweet Potato

After 45- 60 minutes your sweet potato should be done! Your stomach might be gurgling, and your mouth drooling by that sweet smell the sweet potato is omitting out of the oven. This usually is a sign that the sweet potato is ready. Carefully using oven mitts, or a rag, take the potato out of the oven and let it cool on your countertop for a couple minutes (2-3 minutes) before handling it. Carefully, not to burn yourself, remove the tinfoil from the the potato, and cut the potato in half, or roughly a fist sized piece. Using a potato masher, or a similar gadget, pound the potato until it is smooth like mashed potatoes you buy from the store. You can use more or less sweet potato depending on how much you like sweet potatoes.

You can also start pre-heating your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit now!

Congratulations, you have completed the hardest step of this whole recipe, the next few steps are a breeze!

Step 3: Preparing the Dry Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup Flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

The next step is combining all of the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl than the sweet potatoes. This recipe was created in the 1800's when you would go to the local mill and get flour, and most of the times there would be insects, and other critters found inside it. So to overcome this challenge, bakers decided to sift their flour four times. Now that you can go to the grocery store and buy 100% flour without and insects inside it, you don't have to sift it four times, but I have found out, the more you sift it the lighter/ flakier the biscuits turn out, so I would recommend sifting the ingredients three or four times.

In my family we use whole wheat flour because it is healthier for you than all-purpose flour, but the type of flour you use is up to you - the only thing it really has to be is flour!

Using a sifter combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, and sift together several times. You might have to go back after sifting the dry ingredients with a fork to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.

Step 4: Preparing the Wet Ingredients

Wet Ingredients:

1/4 - 1/2 Cup Of Milk

2 Tablespoons Butter Cut Into 9-12 pieces

Now it is time to work the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Start by adding the milk into the now mashed sweet potato bowl. You don't want to add all the milk at one time. Start by only adding 1/4 cup of milk to the sweet potatoes at a time, while mixing it slowly with a fork. You should start to see a cream color in your bowl now as the sweet potatoes and milk mix together.

Step 5: Mixing the Wet Ingredients With the Dry Ingredients

Now, you want to take your dry ingredients bowl and slowly pour a little into the wet ingredient bowl at a time (roughly half a cup). You want to work all the ingredients together using a fork until all the dry ingredients and mixed with the wet ingredients. Now, take your small butter chunks and dump them on top of the mixed ingredients. At this time, it is too hard to mix with with a fork, so use your hands to squeeze the butter into the dough.

Note: Now is the time to add a little more milk to the dough if it is not forming. Only add 1 tablespoon at a time.

After the dough has started to form you can take it out of the bowl and continue to kneed it until it has a more doughy resemblances. Make sure not to over work the dough, because it can kill the backing powder causing the biscuits not to rise (Only work for 2-3 minutes).

Step 6: Forming the Biscuit Shapes

Using your hands push on the dough to make it thin (roughly 1/2" - 1"). Make sure not to play with the dough too much or it may become dormant, and not rise anymore.

Then, using a circular object (you can use a cup, a cookie cutter, or I like to use a wine glass) cut out the biscuits. Depending on the size of your biscuit, you can get a couple big ones, or many small ones. Try to place the cutouts as close to each to maximize the amount you get. Place these biscuits separated from each other on parchment paper. I recommend parchment paper not tinfoil, as the tinfoil gives it a metallic taste, and it doesn't stick to the parchment paper. As I mentioned, with parchment paper you do not need to put anything on them, because they will not stick.

Step 7: Cooking Them!

Now it is time for the last step, congratulations! Place your biscuit pan in your 400 degree oven for about 12-17 minutes. Depending on the size of them, they may require more or less time.

After 12 minutes, check on your biscuits and if they have risen and the tops have started to brown, you can now take them out of the oven, but if they do not fit these criteria, leave them in for another couple minutes.

Step 8: *Optional* Butter Glaze

This is an optional step, but I feel like it makes the biscuits taste much better, but in a small dish you can melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the microwave, until it is melted, and then use a brush to brush t he tops of your cooked biscuits with the butter.

Step 9: Congratulations, You're Done!

Congratulations, if you have made it to this step, you have successfully made the sweet potatoes biscuits! I hope you enjoy these as much as I do, and if you, or your family have any questions or concerns, feel free to leave them below in the comments and I will try to respond to them as soon as possible!

Thank you!

Josh