Punkin Biscuits

During our recent Christmas vacation to Eugene, Don and I had the pleasure of planning and preparing Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner for the family. We served a couple of our favorite Early Household recipes which were a little out of the ordinary four our basic meat and potatoes family. But everyone was a good sport and we think mostly enjoyed the new adventures in the kitchen. For Christmas eve we served Garlic and Herbed Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Roasted Potatoes, and Spinach Salad with Roasted Pecans, Gorgonzola, and Shallot Vinaigrette. Kristy was particularly excited about learning how to stuff a chicken breast and may be trying some other variations on this soon so keep checking back on the cooking blog! For Christmas Dinner Don made balsamic glazed Rack of Lamb, and we served with apricot glazed roasted asparagus, and cheese and herb stuffed roasted red peppers. Finally, we served with this new recipe I've had my eye on for a while: Pumpkin Biscuits with Orange Honey Butter.

It was a bit of an adventure finding canned pumpkin in the grocery store so close to Christmas and so last minute (Freddy's was all out!), but these were a lot of fun to make. I don't usually do a lot of baking so this was a little different even for me but what a treat. They are so easy even for the inexperienced baker and orange honey butter is delicious. The butter makes quite a bit so be prepared to freeze some or scale back the recipe.

Pumpkin Biscuits with Orange-Honey Butter


Serve at breakfast or dinner with baked ham or pork chops.


2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
Cooking spray
1/4 cup Orange-Honey Butter

Preheat oven to 450º.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (flour through nutmeg); cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Combine buttermilk and pumpkin; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 5 times. Roll dough to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 12 biscuits with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 11 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with 1/4 cup Orange-Honey Butter.

Totals include 1/4 cup Orange-Honey Butter.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 biscuit and 1 teaspoon butter)

CALORIES 153 (33% from fat); FAT 5.6g (sat 3.4g,mono 1.6g,poly 0.3g); IRON 1.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 15mg; CALCIUM 68mg; CARBOHYDRATE 23.1g; SODIUM 311mg; PROTEIN 2.9g; FIBER 1g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2003


Orange-Honey Butter


Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

This recipe goes with Pumpkin Biscuits with Orange-Honey Butter

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.

Yield: 1 1/4 cups (serving size: 1 teaspoon)

CALORIES 22 (61% from fat); FAT 1.5g (sat 0.9g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.1g); IRON 0.0mg; CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.3g; SODIUM 16mg; PROTEIN 0.0g; FIBER 0.0g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2003