Pumpkin, Cheddar and Sage Biscuits

It's going to be a beautiful weekend here.  Temperatures are supposed to dip down into the high 60's during the day and 40's overnight for the next few days....before heading back up into the 80's next week.  So we actually get a peak into Fall.

What says autumn better than pumpkin and sage?  I ran across this little gem of a recipe in a new (or new to me anyway) magazine, Alabama.  Really reached deep into the creative juices for that title, eh?  While I'm not sure Alabama needs yet another magazine devoted to itself, this one isn't bad.  I mean I did get a new recipe, right?

These are flaky and moist and even with strong flavors like pumpkin and sage, they're still subtle.

I made mini-biscuits so I could serve them as an appetizer, but they would also be perfect full sized served as a side to some squash soup or just about anything, for that matter!  Plus, minus the baking time, these come together in about 15 minutes.

Here's the recipe:

Pumpkin, Cheddar and Sage Biscuits

Alabama Magazine, Sept/Oct 2011

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 cup smoked aged cheddar (I don't like smoked cheese so I used aged white cheddar)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 deg. F.  Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two forks.  Stir in cheddar and pumpkin.  Mixture will look very dry at first; stir until it comes together.  Knead dough 2-3 times on a lightly floured surface; roll out to 1 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut dough with a 2-inch circle cutter and place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake 16-18 minutes or until lightly browned.

Someone else is a little excited about the cooler temperatures!  He can finally control the neighborhood from the front yard.