I don’t really have much to say today. I think it’s because spring is here, which in LA  feels like the heat of summer. There’s a thick heat over everything and I can’t help but feeling hazy. I don’t want to do anything but sit outside and drink lemonade. My preference is to do this by the beach, but since that would require the extreme effort of driving, parking, and then walking to the ocean, I’ll accept my apartment’s little porch as an alternative.

So…that’s my plan for a while. Sitting in the sun, and drinking lemonade. Oh yeah, and eating these biscuits. I’m not going to tell you how many I’ve already eaten. Cause that would be really embarrassing. Let’s just say it was more than two. A lot more. That’s all I’m gonna tell you.

Okay, I’m gonna go now. I’ve used up all the energy I have for today, and my glass of lemonade is looking a little lonely. Just promise me that if it feels like spring where you are, you’ll make these biscuits, and then spend quality time with them and some lemonade.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Print this recipe!

Be sure to read the end of the recipe for my tip on how to make these amazing – maple butter!

1 medium – large sweet potato,
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and shaping
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup buttermilk

Peel and dice the sweet potato. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook the potato until tender. Drain the water and mash the potato into a puree. (you should end up with about ¾ – 1 cup) Place the puree in a refrigerator for at least and hour until chilled.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut in butter and knead until mixture resembles coarse meal, with some pea-sized lumps of butter remaining. In a small bowl, whisk together sweet potato purée and buttermilk; stir quickly into flour mixture until just combined.

Pour out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead very gently until dough comes together but is still slightly lumpy. (If dough is too sticky, you can add a little extra flour.) Roll the dough out to 1-inch thickness. Using a biscuit cutter or a glass, but out the biscuits and place on a greased baking sheet. Gather together scraps, and repeat to cut out more biscuits. Arrange biscuits snugly in pan (to help them stay upright) and brush with melted butter. Bake until golden, 20 to 24 minutes.

Want to make these extra tasty? Soften ½ cup of butter and stir in 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup. Spread the maple butter over the biscuits and ooooo man is it gonna be good.

It’s a sage-filled Thanksgiving here at A Cozy Kitchen! I swear, Adrianna and I did not plan on both making dishes that include sage, but hey, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, right?

For all of my childhood, one of the greatest moments at Thanksgiving was when the sweet potato casserole that my aunt made was pulled from the oven and added to the epic spread of food. It evolved a bit over the years, first being topped with toasted mini marshmallows, and eventually progressing to a candied nut topping. It didn’t matter to me what you topped it with though, only that sweet potatoes were about to be consumed.

Imagine my shock the first year my extended family couldn’t make it to Thanksgiving and to my horror sweet potatoes were left out of the meal! It soon became apparent that I was the only one among my dad, stepmother and sisters that shared in a love of sweet potatoes, and sadly, my addiction went unfed for years.

This year though, I’m taking control of my own life. I saw this recipe in the current issue of Martha Stewart, and couldn’t wait any longer. After making a few adjustments, I’ve found my favorite version of sweet potato casserole yet. The sage gives it a sophisticated feel but it’s still sweet and satisfying. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Maple Sweet Potato Casserole with Sage-Butter

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, November 2009

Print this recipe!

So, I found another blogger who made this dish with the original recipe but complained that it came out bland. To avoid that, I used all sweet potatoes instead of a mix of both regular and sweet, and I added maple syrup, both to sweeten it and add just a little more flavor. I also made a nut topping instead of one made from bread crumbs as the original had done. I’m beyond satisfied with the result, and it’s going to be a long time before I decide to venture to another version of this dish.

3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 ½ cups milk
1/8 cup maple syrup

For the Topping:
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Place sweet potatoes  in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 1 stick of butter with the chopped sage in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 1 minute and remove from heat. Add butter mixture, milk, and maple syrup to the potatoes and beat with a blender until smooth. Transfer to a 2-quart casserole dish. (mix can be refrigerated for up to 2 days)

In a small saucepan, combine pecans, butter and maple syrup. Heat for 1-2 minutes, or until pecans are well coated in the butter and syrup.  Sprinkle the pecans over the top of the potatoes. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling around the edges and the pecans are beginning to darken, about 30 to 40 minutes.

For the past few weeks, everything I’ve made has been “fall” food.  First there was this, and then these…and then this.  I’m guessing that autumn feels pretty appreciated by me…or totally exploited.  Either way, I’m not done with fall.  I have more up my sleeve. So fall, forgive me, because I’m going to use you as long as I can. Everyone, please meet my new food crush: Sweet Potato Scones.

Don’t scones make you feel classy?! I’ve always associated them with High Tea…and wearing fancy white gloves, and maybe, even being snooty enough to point my pinky straight in the air as I sip tea.  I know, I know, I think this might just be my Jane Austen obsession coming into play, but whatever.

I think it’s this very association that makes everyone  so intimidated by scones, that they’d rather opt for half-stale ones at the chain coffee shop (I’m not naming names but you know who I’m talking about) than make them.  But seriously, I have a secret: These were super simple.  So no reason to fret.

Sure, these might look like normal looking scones; the typical square shape, thickness and the light golden brown color might lead you to believe they’re just a standard scone you might find anywhere.  But what you might not see, at first glance, are the specs of orange…do you see them? Do you?  Well if you don’t, then just have faith that they’re there, because it’s those specs that make these scones magical.  They have every taste of fall that you’d ever want:  a hint of nutmeg, a dash of cinnamon and the flavor of comfort that you’ll only find in a sweet potato.

The trick with scones is that the butter must be cold and stay chilled until they reach the oven. It’s the chilled butter that makes them puff up and look so cute, this means that you must work quickly.  There, that wasn’t so bad, right?  Again, the trick to cute little scones: cold butter.  If you master that down, you’re set.  So go get your fancy white gloves on and lets eat some freakin’ scones.

Sweet Potato Scones

Recipe by Rebecca Rather in the book The Pastry Queen Christmas

3 orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (about 3/4lb.)
4 cups of all-purpose flour
½ cup of sugar
1 ½ tablespoon of baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon sized slices
½ cup of heavy whipping cream
½ cup of buttermilk

Pre-heat the oven to 400F.  Lightly grease a baking sheet. Prick the sweet potatoes a few times with a fork and bake them on a prepared baking sheet until tendered for 30-40 minutes.  Remove from oven and let them cool to touch, about 10 minutes.  Cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out flesh and place in a medium mixing bowl, and lightly mash with a fork.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate until cool, at least 20 minutes. (Warm potatoes will melt the cold butter, keeping the scones from attaining their optimum lightness and tenderness.)

Increase the oven temperature to 425F.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Use your hands or a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter into the flour mixture until the dough is crumbly and contains lumps the size of small peas. Add the cooled sweet potatoes and 1/4 cup of the cream and lightly stir into the flour mixture.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup of cream and the buttermilk and stir until just mixed. Do not overwork the dough.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface.  Lightly coat your hands with flour and form the dough into a 3/4 inch-thick rectangle.  Cut the dough into 6 squares (I cut a lot more). Bake on an un-greased baking sheet for 15-20 minutes, until the scones are a light golden brown.  Transfer to wire rack for cooling.