pumpkin, pecan biscuits

each year in september or early october i start testing new-to-me thanksgiving dishes and baked goods– i like to have plenty of time to make adjustments to recipes before the holidays roll in.

pumpkin and pecan biscuit

my new fall baking obsession is with these pumpkin, pecan biscuits– seems just right for thanksgiving, right? i've made them four times already because after the 1st round jim asked for more . . . and after that round again his request came for more. and so on. and all ya'll know i can't deny jim any requests from the kitchen.

the idea for these biscuits was given to me by my friend-in-food, phyllis fitzgerald (wow, what a baker she is). and about that same time, another friend gave me a golden nugget pumpkin . . . and well, in my kitchen that's more than just a sign they needed to be baked and mastered.

candied pecans add a slightly sweet element to these biscuits

these biscuits are not terribly sweet so they are good with ice-cream or bacon–or both. i've served them for dinner with grilled lamb chops, and crumbled over homemade vanilla ice-cream for dessert. they complimented each course equally well.

so onward toward thanksgiving . . . and i'm also thinking these biscuits will make a leftover turkey sandwich something special.

ingredients- 12 large biscuits

shred butter to reduce kneading & prevent tough biscuits

for the candied pecans:

• 1 & 1/2 tablespoons butter

• scant cup chopped pecans

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

for the pumpkin purée:

• small pie or other sweet pumpkin

• avocado or vegetable oil for coating

• sea salt for rubbing

• 1&1/4 cup buttermilk

for the biscuit dough:

• 4 cups all purpose flour

• 4 tsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 2 & 1/2 tsp. sea salt

• 12 tablespoons cold butter

• melted butter for brushing

• brown sugar for dusting

directions

for the candied pecans:

1. melt the butter in a 10 inch skillet on med. low.

2. toss in the pecans to coat. add the brown sugar and salt and stir to coat.

3. cook 3-5 min. stirring until the butter and sugar caramelize. (careful not to let the sugar burn)

4. scatter the nuts on a plate to cool and then break up any clumps with your hands.

for the pumpkin purée:

1. cut off the stem and cut the pumpkin from the top-down into 4 or 6 pieces.

2. remove the seeds and rub the flesh with oil and sea salt

3. bake at 375 degrees for about 45 min. until the flesh is easily pierced with t fork. 

4. scoop out 1 cup of the flesh of the pumpkin once it has cooled and put it into a blender with the buttermilk. (use any extra pumpkin flesh for soup)

5. purée until smooth.

for the biscuits:

put a baking stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees

1. stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2. add the candied pecans and stir to combine.

2. shred the butter on the large side of a grater into the bowl.

3. combine with your hands just to spread the butter throughout the flour.

4. mix in 2 cups of the purée to form a wet, sticky dough. add more purée if needed to form a shaggy dough.

5. turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. lightly dust the top of the dough and press into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick.

cut pressed dough into 4 pieces and stack them to laminate

6. to laminate the dough: cut the pressed dough into 4 pieces and stack them.

7. press out again to 3/4 inch thick and cut with a 3" round dough cutter. 

8. set the cut biscuits onto a lightly dusted cookie sheet.

9. reform and press and cut the remainder of the dough.

10. brush the tops of the cut biscuits with the melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar. (careful not to get sugar on the bottoms or it will burn)

11. carefully put the biscuits on the baking stone and set the timer to 15min. check for doneness and bake a few min. more if needed.

12. cool on a wire rack. 

note: these biscuits freeze well