buttermilk biscuits

Buttermilk Biscuits with Pumpkin Butter

Light and moist, these biscuits get their tang from a healthy shot of buttermilk. Best served warm with a dab of local honey or spice-infused pumpkin butter.

The Freshest Feast: Thanksgiving Side Dishes Made with Local Ingredients

Ingredients

BISCUITS
  • 2 cups unbleached flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
    • PUMPKIN BUTTER
      • 2 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin, pureed
      • 3/4 cup sugar
      • 1/4 cup apple cider
      • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
      • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
      • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
      • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
      • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

BISCUITS: Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour into a food processor, and add butter in chunks, pulsing until pea-sized crumbles form. (To mix without food processor, cut in butter with two knives.) Slowly add buttermilk and mix until entire mixture is just blended. Pour dough out onto a floured surface and knead about five times. Pat out until about 1/2 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter or the floured rim of a large drinking glass, cut dough into circles. Bake on an un-greased cookie sheet for about 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Remove and serve warm with pumpkin butter. PUMPKIN BUTTER: Combine all ingredients in a heavy 4-quart saucepan. (To make homemade puréed pumpkin, wash a medium-sized sugar pumpkin and slice it, removing seeds and pith, and bake at 300°F skin-side up in a roasting pan filled with 1/4 cup water for 1 hour, or until tender. Remove, cool, peel and purée the meat.) Stirring frequently to avoid burning, bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer until thick, 15–20 minutes. (Thickening time will be reduced if using canned pumpkin.) Recipe yields about 2 cups of pumpkin butter; leftovers may be frozen in an airtight container for up to six months.

Photo(s) by Todd Zawistowski