Herb-Topped Sweet Potato Biscuits

• Recipe by Susan Spungen

These biscuits get a kick from cayenne pepper and an aromatic lift from fresh herbs. Mashing the sweet potatoes with a fork means that the biscuits will be flecked throughout with orange.

Ingredients

1. 1 pound sweet potatoes, scrubbed
2. 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
3. 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
4. 1 tablespoon baking powder
5. 1 teaspoon salt
6. 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
7. 1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced
8. 1/3 cup whole milk
9. 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon heavy cream
10. 30 small sturdy herb sprigs, such as sage, thyme and rosemary

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Set the potatoes on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until tender. Let cool slightly. Using a spoon, scoop the potato flesh from the skins into a bowl and mash with a fork; you should have 1 1/2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes. Refrigerate until chilled.
2. In a large bowl, mix the 2 1/2 cups of flour with the brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender. In a small bowl, mix the sweet potatoes with the milk. Add to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until all of the flour is incorporated; the dough will be quite sticky. Refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 425°. On a well-floured work surface, pat out the dough until it is 1/2-inch thick. Using a floured 2-inch round or fluted cutter, stamp out as many biscuits as you can and transfer them to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Re-roll the scraps and stamp out more biscuits. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the egg wash and press a small herb sprig into each one. Bake the biscuits for about 20 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make Ahead

Once cooled, the biscuits can be frozen in a resealable plastic bag for up to 2 weeks. Bake frozen biscuits in a 350° oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until heated through.