Pumpkin Angel Biscuits

It’s Sunday and Day 7 of the 12 Days of Christmas and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate either one than with biscuits.

If you’ve been around here for a while, then you’re very aware of the veyr close relationship I have with biscuits. If you have not been here for a while then you can just go the Recipe Index and still get the same level of awareness.

Me and biscuits go back. Way back. They’re definitely in the Top 5 of my favorite things to make, primarily because it took me a long time and a lot of practice learn how to do it really well, if I may say so myself.

One of the reasons that I go back to baking biscuits so often both here and in real life is that they’re so versatile, to the point where I often refer to them as Blank Canvas Recipes that can be adjusted/experimented with to suit just about any palate, season, or occasion.

There are also several different types of biscuits out there.

The most traditional kind of biscuit is made with flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, (frozen; this is my personal preference) butter and (butter)milk; and that’s it. After mixing the dough together very carefully, you give it a rest, roll them out, give them another rest, then bake them off.

Then there are ‘shortcut’ biscuits that are made with even fewer ingredients: self-rising flour, frozen butter and milk before being mixed, rested, then baked.

Then there are even shorter shortcut ‘drop’ biscuits that are made with fewer ingredients, then scooped and dropped onto a pan and baked rightaway.

There are also Angel Biscuits.

Angel biscuits get their name primarily from their texture; when made correctly, they are supposed to be light, flaky and pillowy soft on the inside. This comes from both their ingredients and their technique. While there is baking powder and baking soda inside of them, they are also made with active dry yeast. The combination of all of these leaveners together makes their texture somewhere a cross between a traditional biscuit, and a dinner roll.

My Grandmother’s Angel Biscuit recipe was one the very first biscuit recipe I ever tried, and will always be the best biscuit recipe I’ve ever had/tried. These Cornmeal Angel Biscuits were a huge hit as well.

Now I’m pleased to announce I’m back to round out the trifecta and deck the classic Angel Biscuit with some holiday style.

Turns out pumpkin isn’t just an ingredient for holiday pie; you can put in lots of other things to really delicious results.

Like Angel Biscuits.

Pumpkin in most baked goods isn an excellent way to inject both flavor AND moisture. It certainly did for these. All of the usual suspects for angel biscuits show up in this, along with a hefty portion of pumpkin pie spice (this is a spice blend that you can buy in stores; it typically includes cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice or mace, and sometimes even black pepper).

Angel Biscuits are a time commitment; there’s no way around that. But I’ll tell you something: the results never fail to make that time commitment soooo worth it.

As you can see, these turned out divine. First, they rose/baked up so high and tall just like toy soldiers. Second, their smell alone while baking let me know that they were going to taste just like Christmas; warm, spicy, slightly sweet and savory. Third, their inner texture was so light moist. I couldn’t have been more pleased, and if you decide to make them for your holiday table, I guarantee that you will be too.

Cheers!

Day 1: Holiday Lunch Lady Bars

Day 2: Ginger Thins

Day 3: Chunky Gingerbread Spiced Apple Butter

Day 4: Bakery-Style Apple Butter Cookies

Day 5: Apple Butter Spice Cakes

Day 6: Spiced Polvorónes Cookies

Day 7: Pumpkin Angel Biscuits

Pumpkin Angel Biscuits

Recipe Adapted from Cuisine at Home

Ingredients

3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon white sugar, divided
1 tablespoon. pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter (8 Tbsp.), frozen
1 cup canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup buttermilk

Directions
In a small bowl sprinkle the active dry yeast over the 1/2 cup of water. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of white sugar over that. Allow to sit until proofed and frothy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl of a standing mixer, or a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Using the holes on a large box grater, grate the frozen butter directly into the dry ingredients.

Use the dough hook attachment on the standing mixer, or on a handheld mixer to stir in the pumpkin and buttermilk.

Stir just until ingredients are moistened. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a shallow pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven.

Sprinkle your work surface with flour and turn the biscuit dough out onto it. lightly knead 4–5 times to incorporate flour and gently shape into a rectangle.

Use a bench scraper or very sharp knife to trim the edges of the rectangle. Use a square cookie cutter, or a knife to cut the remaining dough into squares, about 2″ each.

Remove the cut biscuits to the baking sheet you’ve lined with parchment paper, placing them rather close to each other (it will help them rise higher). Freeze until cold, about 15 minutes.

Spray the tops of the biscuits with cooking spray, and then sprinkle with the granola if desired.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown and cooked through at the edges (they should not look wet).