pumpkin biscuits

i love christmas time. its my absolute favorite time of the year. here's a recipe for some pumpkin biscuits that are great by themselves, or awesome in a brunch item twist. first the recipe.

here's what you'll need.

2 cups all-purpose flour (and maybe a little more, see instructions) 

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (homemade!... canned if in a hurry)
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter

first, you'll need to preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

then whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. put flour mixture in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add cold butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. should look something like this...

now, this is the part that will take the most time. you need a fresh pumpkin, cleaned and cut into cubes. or you can just cut the thing in half and scrape out the seeds and throw it in the oven. either way works.

you want to cook pumpkin until its just tender, so about half an hour...depending.

then throw that in your food processor and puree until its nice and smooth. should look like this...

ok. you still with me?? take your flour mixture and stir in pumpkin and milk. mix just until moistened and a soft dough forms. if the dough is too wet to handle, stir in more flour, just enough so you can handle it without it falling to bits.  next, roll out dough to 1/2-inch thick on a lightly floured board...should look like this.

using a floured biscuit cutter, cut into 2-inch circles. if you don't have a ring mold you can use any round tube or cup, but you'll need to make sure it can get air in there so you may have to sacrifice a plastic cup or something.....then place cut outs on greased pan 1 inch apart and brush with melted butter. bake for 8 to12 minutes, until golden brown. 

and viola! pumpkin-y biscuit-y good-ness. 

now here's where we get to have some fun

most places have really, REALLY boring brunch. i mean, you could go to just about any place in the u.s. and get the exact same, boring offerings.

wake. up. your. taste. buds.

demand better.

i demand better of myself, i refuse to conform. (to a point.)

here's my take on a traditional brunch item. the eggs benedict.

pumpkin biscuit (from above!), york ham, poached egg, citrus brown butter hollandaise, beetroot vanilla bean chutney, arugula.

now tell me you aren't hungry.