Pumpkin Biscuits

Book Update:  I heard the tail end of an NPR interview with the authors of “1,227 Quite Interesting Facts to Blow Your Socks Off.”  Sometimes trivia is organizing by category or subject, but not this book.  It’s just a lot of random facts that are roughly organized.  Some of the things I knew… but not many.  I found this book very entertaining and a quick read.  I think every teacher and substitute teacher should carry it.  It’s a good springboard to lessons and further research.

Some examples:

In 1999, a 4 year old turned yellow from drinking Sunny D; Until 1913 , children in America could be sent by parcel post; People earning over $21,000 per year are the richest 4% on the planet; under extreme pressure, diamonds can be made from peanut butter; 40% of the human race did not survive beyond its 1st birthday; when you use &*^@ for swearing they are called grawlixes.

Recipe Update:  So, my son is quite particular about biscuits.  We all liked the Whole Wheat Greek Yogurt Biscuits, but he didn’t.  The flakiness isn’t there and I get that.  I tried these biscuits  and LOVED them.  Great flavor, great color, easy to put together and quick to bake.   The reviewers state they had trouble getting the dough together because it was so sticky.  I didn’t have this problem and I speculate that they did not weigh their ingredients.   Most people scoop their flour which could throw off the ratio of wet and dry ingredients.  But, if your dough is sticky simply throw in a little more flour and you’ll be fine.

I didn’t taste the pumpkin and the cinnamon was barely noticeable.  These would be great for breakfast or at Thanksgiving instead of typical rolls.  Sweet potato puree could be substituted for the pumpkin.

Pumpkin Biscuits
14 biscuits

9 oz.  AP flour (or white whole wheat flour), about 2 cups
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 and 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into 1/4″ pieces
1/3 cup buttermilk (or 1 tsp. lemon juice and 1/3 cup milk)
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (like canned pumpkin)
2 tablespoons honey
*If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you could use 3/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. allspice, cloves and ginger

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2.  In a great big bowl, mix the dry stuff:  flour, baking powder, pie spice and salt.
3.  Cut the butter into the dry mixture using your fingertips, pastry cutter or knives.  Put the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes. (Or, you could do this part the night before.)
4.  In a big measuring cup, mix the wet stuff:  buttermilk, pumpkin and honey.  Add wet to dry.  Knead about 4-5 times.  Press the dough or roll out into 1/2″ thick.  Using biscuit cutters or a glass, press down and lift directly up.  Don’t twist of the biscuit may not rise very high.  I used my 1.75″ cutter – my middle size.  Reroll scraps of dough.  Cut out more biscuits.
5.  Place biscuits on a greased, parchment paper or silicone lined cookie sheet.  Put the biscuits in the oven.  Reduce the temperature to 400 degrees.  Bake 1 4 minutes.  Cool slightly and eat!

These tasted great with butter, honey butter and apple butter.

Recipe adapted from “Cooking Light”