One of the hardest parts about eating gluten-free and mostly grain-free is the mouth feel and taste of gluten and grain free baked goods. It is often, never quite the same experience with the alternatives. But once in a while it happens. I found a recipe in The Kinfolk Table: Recipes for Small Gatherings by Nathan Williams. The recipe is by a writer and a creative consultant and teacher couple, Austin and Ashlyn Sailsbury. The book is a wonderful collection of recipes and stories from creatives from around the world, published by the eponymous lifestyle magazine Kinfolk. The sweet potato biscuits were fluffy on the inside, a little flaky on the outside with a touch of sweetness and color from the sweet potato. Years later, I have cut out gluten and cow dairy and decided to see if I could adapt the recipe to fit my needs. After multiple attempts, it worked. I used King Arthur Paleo Flour and Bob’d Red Mill Paleo Flour works really well too. I added organic butter in lieu of cow-dairy butter and I threw in a whisked egg as the lack of gluten in the dough made it a little delicate to handle and it added some more volume to the biscuit. They turned out pretty close to the real thing, giving my mouth the experience it craves with baked goods. I am really grateful for the original recipe as a it gave me a great framework to adapt it. If you are able to tolerate gluten and dairy give the original recipe a try but if not here go! Either way they will go great with your holiday banquet.

Makes 11-12 biscuits/ prep time 15 minutes/20-22 minutes/ total time 35-37 minutes

Gather

1 small sweet potato or garnet yam, peeled and cut into 1-inch/25-centimeter pieces

1 3/4 cup /250 grams Paleo Flour (I use King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill), plus extra for dusting

2 tablespoons / 28.3 grams monk fruit sweetener

1/2 teaspoon / 2.84 g baking soda

2 1/2 / 8.53 g teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon/ 2.84 g salt

6 tablespoons/ 85 grams salted vegan butter, cut into small pieces and chilled

1 large egg, whisked

1/3 cup/80 ml chilled almond milk

1 teaspoon / 4.929 ml lemon juice

Make

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F/218 C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the sweet potato pieces into a small steamer tray in a small saucepan. Add about 1-inch/2.5 cm of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Steam the sweet potatoes for about 10 minutes until they are fork tender. 

Transfer the sweet potatoes to a small bowl and mash them with a fork till very smooth. Cool to room temperature and measure out 3/4 cup/118 grams. Reserve leftovers for another use.

Whisk the flour, monk fruit sweetener, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Using two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles small peas.

In a small bowl mix the almond milk and lemon together. Then mix in the egg and the sweet potato until well blended. Then add it to the flour mixture, stirring just until the ingredients come together. It will be quite wet.

Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with the extra flour. Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead it for 3-4 minutes. With a floured rolling pin, roll it out into a 12-inch/ 30-centimeter circle. Flour a 21/2-inch/6-centimeter, round biscuit cutter, stamp out the biscuits, and arrange them about 1-inch/2.5 centimeters apart on the prepared sheet. 

Note*: the dough is delicate and may break. If it does, re-roll it out and continue cutting. Be sure to re-flour the biscuit cutter.

Bake the biscuits for 10-12 minutes or until just golden. Transfer to a rack and cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Recipe Developed by Anna Getty

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