Adam’s Autumn Biscuits

In a 1994 River Road Cookbook these biscuits are described as golden towers of light flaky pastries that belie their humble beginnings.  Louisiana “alchemists” can indeed turn lead into gold. 

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup butter, chilled and cut into small bits

One 16-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree

½ cup golden raisins

2 tablespoons 1%, or less, buttermilk

½ cup brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg into a mixing bowl.  Using a pastry blender or food processor, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles very coarse meal.  Add pumpkin and raisins.  

3. Pat the dough into ½ inch thickness on a well-floured surface.  Cut out using a floured 1-inch cutter.

4.  Place biscuits on baking sheet sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray. Brush biscuits with milk and top with ½ teaspoon brown sugar per biscuit.

5.  Bake 10 – 15 minutes or until done.

Yield: 24 biscuits

Linda