It's rained recently, so everything was feeling refreshed, but the weather over the longest night of the year was dry and cool.
On Solstice Eve, we lit a fire outside at twilight and ate homemade gingersnap cookies (representing the dark of the longest night) and drinking spiced coffee I heated in the fireplace. Then we went inside for a supper of hot soup - it was cold outside!
The next evening, we celebrated the turn from the longest night to lengthening days with a meal of black bean chili (for darkness) and sweet potato biscuits (representing the returning sun). Symbolic and delicious.
There are many ways to make sweet potato biscuits. I also make a kind with buttermilk and more sweet potato - they're a little denser. You can find the recipe here.
This year, I made these fluffy biscuits. Although I cooked a whole sweet potato, I didn't need it all so I diced the extra into a root vegetable soup.
I added some apple juice to add a little sweetness and moisture. Organic apple juice comes in large bottles, and since I don't actually drink apple juice, I never finish the whole bottle at once. Instead, I freeze the extra in small portions, ready to use in a recipe like this one.
These biscuits are great with chilis and soups. They also freeze well.
Sweet Potato Biscuits
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter
1/3 cup apple juice
1 cup cooked sweet potato, mashed well
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Whisk together the whole wheat flour, white flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until the largest pieces are the size of small peas. Stir in the apple juice and mashed sweet potato to make a soft dough.
Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead in just enough extra flour that it's not sticky. Divide it into 16 parts. Shape into a ball and arrange on a greased cookie sheet. Pat them down a little to flatten them. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serve hot with butter.
There are many ways to make sweet potato biscuits. I also make a kind with buttermilk and more sweet potato - they're a little denser. You can find the recipe here.
This year, I made these fluffy biscuits. Although I cooked a whole sweet potato, I didn't need it all so I diced the extra into a root vegetable soup.
I added some apple juice to add a little sweetness and moisture. Organic apple juice comes in large bottles, and since I don't actually drink apple juice, I never finish the whole bottle at once. Instead, I freeze the extra in small portions, ready to use in a recipe like this one.
These biscuits are great with chilis and soups. They also freeze well.
Sweet Potato Biscuits
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter
1/3 cup apple juice
1 cup cooked sweet potato, mashed well
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Whisk together the whole wheat flour, white flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until the largest pieces are the size of small peas. Stir in the apple juice and mashed sweet potato to make a soft dough.
Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead in just enough extra flour that it's not sticky. Divide it into 16 parts. Shape into a ball and arrange on a greased cookie sheet. Pat them down a little to flatten them. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serve hot with butter.
No comments:
Post a Comment