Sweet Potato Biscuits #Thanksgiving recipe from Molly MacRae

 

We aren’t a marshmallow and sweet potato family. Sweet potatoes, yes, but tending more towards the savory. Roasted sweet potato spears with molasses and horseradish are a Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition at our house. Black bean and sweet potato burritos with sweet-spicy pickled red onions are a tasty option for vegetarians when you’re having a taco night. Later in the winter I’ll post recipes for curried sweet potato pasties and Moroccan sweet potato salad.

We love these biscuits, too. They’re wonderful with soups and stews and make an interesting change from white dinner rolls for a holiday meal. They do call for 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, but they don’t end up tasting like dessert (and the sugar can be omitted, if you like). Plus, there’s the nice little surprise of cayenne pepper to kick the biscuits up a notch. (The cayenne can be omitted, too.)

The recipe calls for 3/4 cup of mashed sweet potato, which is about 6 ounces. If you have leftover, plain mashed sweet potato, this is a great use for it. I never do, though, so I start with a whole potato that weighs about 12 ounces. That way I would have six ounces left that I could freeze for the next batch of biscuits. But, as usually happens, I give it to my husband who enjoys a healthy snack.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Adapted from Roots by Diane Morgan 

 

Ingredients

3/4 cup mashed sweet potato (or 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed)

2 teaspoons salt, divided 

2 tablespoons brown sugar 

6 tablespoons butter or butter substitute 

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

1/3 cup buttermilk or 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place one of the racks in the lower third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or grease it).

Simmer the peeled, cubed sweet potato (with 1 teaspoon of the salt) until very tender but not falling apart. Drain, return to pan and set back on burner to evaporate excess moisture. Mash the potato and measure out 3/4 cup (save the rest of let someone eat it). Add the brown sugar to the still warm potato and stir to melt the sugar. Let cool. 

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, remaining teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper. Cut in butter until butter pieces are no bigger than peas.

In a medium bowl, combine sweet potato and buttermilk or yogurt. Add sweet potato mixture to dry ingredients and mix just until well blended. 

Turn dough onto lightly floured board. If dough is sticky, knead in a little more flour. Pat dough into a circle or a rectangle 1/2-inch thick. If you made a circle, cut biscuits with a floured biscuit cutter and place 1/2-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gather the scraps and cut more biscuits. If you made a rectangle (which saves time and re-rolling), cut the biscuits into squares, rectangles, or triangles with a knife or pizza cutter. Place biscuits 1/2-inch apart on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until biscuits bottoms are golden brown.   

💕click here for a free, printable pdf of the recipe💕

 

Take time this winter to curl up with a drink, a treat, and a good book. May I suggest a bit of armchair travel, too? 

Visit Ocracoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina, in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries.

 

Or travel to the Scottish Highlands in the Highland Bookshop Mysteries.

 

Spend time in northeast Tennessee in the Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries, two stand-alone mysteries, and a collection of short stories.

 

Or travel from Cape Cod on the east coast to Monterey on the west coast, with a stop in Ohio along the way in my very gentle mysteries written as Margaret Welch.

 

Happy reading! 

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Instagram or Bluesky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roast Turkey Breast – Perfect for Small Thanksgiving Dinner, from Vicki Delany #Thanksgiving #Recipe

 Canadian Thanksgiving was a few weeks so, and this year the celebration was very pared down for me as most of my family were travelling.  There was only my eldest daughter, my mother, and me this year.  So I did a turkey breast rather than the entire beast.  My daughter is a big fan of the Israeli-English chef Yotam Ottolenghi, and this recipe is from his book, Ottolenghi, the Cookbook.

It was the perfect amount to serve eaters, with some left-overs for those essential post-feast sandwiches.

Note that the turkey breast needs to marinade overnight.

Roast Turkey Breast

Ingredients:

4 tbsp mint leaves

4 tbsp parsley leaves

4 tbsp coriander leaves

1 garlic clove, peeled

60 ml lemon juice

60 ml olive oil

125 ml white wine

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 small turkey breast on the bone. About 1 kg.

Directions:

1. Put all the ingredients except the turkey breast in a food processor or blender and process for 1–2 minutes to get a smooth marinade. Put the turkey in a non-metallic container and pour the marinade over it. Massage the marinade into the meat, cover the container and leave in the fridge for 24 hours. Make sure the turkey is immersed in the sauce.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Remove the turkey from the marinade (keep the marinade for later) and put it on a roasting tray.
3. Place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 400 °F. Continue to cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature again to 350°F. Cook until the turkey is done – another 30–45 minutes. To check, stick a small knife all the way into the centre; it should come out hot. If the meat goes dark before it is ready, cover it with foil.
4. To prepare the sauce, heat up the turkey marinade in a small saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes, until reduced by about half.
5. Taste and season with some more salt and pepper.
6. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice it thinly and serve with the warm sauce.

 

Follow Vicki at www.vickidelany.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor. You can sign up to receive Vicki’s quarterly newsletter at Vicki Delany – Canadian Author of Mystery Novels and Suspense Novels » Contact. She’s on Bluesky at @vickidelany.bsky.social

Now Available: O Deadly Night, the 7^th Year-Round Christmas mystery from Crooked Lane Books. 

Hayley Snow’s Corn Pudding for Thanksgiving or Any Time a Roast Chicken Appears

LUCY BURDETTE: I imagine that a dish like this might have been one of the first things Hayley made for Nathan when their relationship was new. It’s exactly the kind of homestyle food he loves, and now he requests it for Thanksgiving as well as any time Hayley roasts a chicken. It’s a little sweet, and very corny, and not at all challenging for fussy palates. It would be perfect for your Thanksgiving table too!

Ingredients 

2/3 cup flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

½ cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for baking dish

1 14-ounce can creamed corn

1 15-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained (see note)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

8 ounces sour cream (or whole fat yogurt in a pinch)

In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set this aside. In a second, larger bowl, beat the butter and eggs until well combined. Beat in the sour cream, creamed corn, and whole corn.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Scrape the mix into a well buttered 8 by 8-inch or round glass pan. 

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes until the corn pudding is lightly browned on top. Mine took almost 50.

Note: If sodium is a concern, substitute fresh or frozen corn for the canned, or use the no salt versions. You could also add green chilis or grated cheese or chopped pimentos before baking, but Nathan likes it plain.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

USA Today bestselling author Lucy Burdette writes the Key West food critic mystery series including A POISONOUS PALATE and A CLUE IN THE CRUMBS. Join her mailing list right here.

Book 15 in the Key West series, THE MANGO MURDERS, is in bookstores now!

The trade paperback edition of A POISONOUS PALATE is out now! 

And the trade paperback edition of A CLUE IN THE CRUMBS is out now!

New Cover Reveal and #Recipe for Coconut Lime Cake by @LibbyKlein #Holiday #Dessert #Thanksgiving #Christmas

Libby Klein I've been obsessed with the Great British Baking Show lately. I've been sick so I've been binge watching Netflix to distract myself. I'm gutted every time my favorite baker is booted from the tent. I even got all the books from the library so I could see the recipes. This is from one of the show cookbooks, but a baker is never given credit for the bake. The original recipe is for a three tiered cake like a wedding cake and I don't have enough people to eat my desserts to commit to that level of showstopper. This is my pared down, three layer version. Then I added a lime curd between the layers because Paul Hollywood insists a cake needs a sharpness to cut through the sweet. And I covered the cake in a lovely Swiss Meringue buttercream because it's light and fluffy.

You'll also see my new cover for Gimme Shelter - book 2 in the Layla Virtue (not cozy) Mysteries. Let me know in the comments what you think about it.

Coconut Lime Cake

Makes two 9-inch rounds

Coconut Cakes

2 sticks unsalted Butter, softened and cubed
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, beaten lightly
2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
2 cups plain flour or a 1 to 1 gluten free flour
3 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
1/4 cup coconut cream

1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut for covering the finished cake

Lime Curd Recipe follows

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and pinch of salt. Fold into the butter mixture being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

Fold in the desiccated coconut and the coconut cream and combine until smooth. Divide the batter between two prepared 9-inch round pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes until risen and golden, and a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans.

Lime Curd Filling

2 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp Lime zest 
1/3 cup fresh key lime juice (about 2–3 lemons)
¼ cup unsalted butter

Whisk all the ingredients together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir continuously over low to medium heat until the curd is thick enough to cling to a spoon. This will take about 6-8 minutes. Spread in a wide casserole dish or on a sheet pan and pop it in the fridge to cool quickly.

Swiss Buttercream

6 large egg whites (approximately 180g)
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool and cut into Tbsp size pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Separate the eggs, placing the egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer. 

Whisk sugar into the egg whites, then set the bowl over a saucepan filled with just two inches of simmering water over medium heat. Do not let the bottom of the egg whites bowl touch the water. Whisk the whites and sugar constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture has thinned out, about 4 minutes. The mixture will be thick and tacky at first, then thin out and be frothy white on top. To test that it’s ready, you can use your finger or an instant read thermometer. Lightly and quickly dip your finger (it’s very hot, be careful) and rub the mixture between your thumb and finger. You shouldn’t feel any sugar granules. If using a thermometer, the temperature should read 160°F (71°C).

Transfer the bowl to your stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. On medium-high speed, beat the mixture until stiff glossy peaks form and the meringue is no longer warm to the touch, at least 10-15 minutes. If the bowl and meringue still feel warm, wait until both cool to room temperature (around 70°F (21°C)) before adding the butter in the next step.

 

Switch the stand mixer to the paddle attachment. On medium-high speed, add the butter 1 Tablespoon at a time. Wait for the butter to fully mix in before adding the next Tablespoon. After all the butter has been added, turn the mixer down to medium speed and fully beat in the vanilla and salt, about 30 seconds.

Fill the Cakes

Make a wall of Swiss buttercream around the edge of the first layer. Fill the well with lime curd. Repeat with the second layer. cover the top and sides of the cake with Swiss buttercream and pat coconut into the frosting. 

This whip-smart, witty series packs an emotional punch within an engaging mystery as Layla Virtue, a 30-something recovering alcoholic and former cop turned party musician, finds a sideline in solving murders from her new home in a Potomac County trailer park…

An unforgettable mystery brimming with hilarity and heart for readers of Margot Douaihy, Jane Pek, and Darynda Jones.

As the song says, you can’t always get what you want. Maybe that’s why, instead of fulfilling her youthful dream of being a rock star, Layla Fortune is living in a trailer park while playing third-rate gigs, including a stint at a ʼ70s Abba brunch. Given everything else she’s been through lately, she’s not complaining (much) about satin ruffles and go-go boots. She has a squad of supportive new BFFs, and she’s reclaimed a relationship with her famous rocker dad. His recent diagnosis has brought them even closer—sharing the trailer park’s lake house, which he’s had remodeled in typically over-the-top style.

Libby Klein writes ridiculously funny murder mysteries from her Northern Virginia office with a very naughty calico Persian named Miss Eliza Doolittle, and a sweet black Lab named Vader. She can name that tune for 70s and 80s rock in the first few notes, and she's translated her love of classic rock into her Layla Virtue Mysteries. Libby was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that prevents her from eating gluten without exploding. Because bread is one of her love languages, she includes the recipes for gluten free goodies in her Cape May based Poppy McAllister series. Most of her hobbies revolve around travel, and eating, and eating while traveling. She insists she can find her way to any coffee shop anywhere in the world, even while blindfolded. Follow all of her nonsense on her website www.LibbyKleinBooks.com/Newsletter/

Cranberry Fig Compote and Cranberry Coffee Cake - a #ThanksgivingWeek threefer by Leslie Budewitz

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  It’s not often that one recipe serves as the basis for two fabulous follow-up recipes, each terrific. That’s what happened when we made this classic balsamic cranberry fig compote as a side for our Thanksgiving turkey breast last year, then used some of the leftovers in place of fresh cranberries in a coffee cake, the hit of our annual holiday brunch. The bowl wasn’t quite empty, so we combined the last compote with whipped goat cheese for a terrific spread. In truth, any cranberry sauce would do, but we love figs—and so did our guests! 

As I was typing up the coffee cake recipe, I had to laugh at the reference to large eggs. Commercial eggs are graded and sold by size and weight, but we buy eggs from a neighbor with chickens, and size varies. Now and then, I see a truly large egg and think that must have really hurt to lay! 

Whether you make one, two, or all three recipes, we here at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen are grateful for your friendship and readership, and wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving! (A month late for our Canadian friends!) 

PS: I finally figured out how to embed a PDF of the recipe for easy printing. 

Scroll down to the 💕 for the link. 

Cranberry Fig Compote 

1 cup water

1 orange, zested and juiced 

1 cup dried figs. chopped

1 cup sugar

1 cinnamon stick

10-12 ounce bag cranberries, fresh or frozen (no need to thaw)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Pinch of salt

In a 3 quart saucepan, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in the orange juice and figs. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the sugar and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Stir in the cranberries. Reduce heat and simmer until the figs are soft and the cranberries have begun to pop. Remove from heat. 

Stir in the vinegar, zest, and salt. Cool completely. Note that it will thicken as it cools.

Store leftovers in a tightly sealed jar, in the refrigerator, up to 3 weeks. 

Makes about 2 cups.

Cranberry Coffee Cake with Cranberry Fig Compote

For the cake:

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt (preferably Diamond)

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1-3/4 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs 

zest of one lemon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

1 cup leftover cranberry sauce or compote

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a standard, 10 cup Bundt pan. 

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In your stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat. Add the lemon zest and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture a cup at a time, alternating with sour cream, mixing on low until well combined. 

Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Add the cranberry compote or sauce in an even layer. 

Top with remaining batter.

Bake 55-60 minutes, until top is golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in the pan 10-15 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack (not shown) and allow to cool completely. 

Make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon vanilla. 

When cake is cooled, transfer to serving plate and drizzle with glaze. Slice and serve. 

Serves 10-12.

Cranberry Whipped Goat Cheese

This was a spur-of-the-moment concoction and I didn't take photos -- but I know you can make this without them!

Amounts are approximate; adjust as needed, especially if you’re using up the last of your holiday cranberry sauce! 

10-12 ounce log goat cheese, softened 

½ cup cranberry sauce or compote

milk or half and half, if needed

Crackers or toasted baguette slices, for serving 

Soften the goat cheese, at room temperature. Use a spoon to smush it, then stir in the cranberry sauce. Add a little liquid, as needed to create a spreadable consistency.

Spread and enjoy!

Cranberries on your holiday table or not? Your favorite creative use of Thanksgiving leftovers? 

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF! 

At Seattle Spice Shop, owner Pepper Reece has whipped up the perfect blend of food, friends, and flavor. But the sweet smell of success can be hazardous . . .  

Spring is in full bloom in Pike Place Market, where Pepper is celebrating lavender’s culinary uses and planning a festival she hopes will become an annual event. When her friend Lavender Liz offers to share tips for promoting the much-loved—and occasionally maligned—herb, Pepper makes a trek to the charming town of Salmon Falls. But someone has badly damaged Liz’s greenhouse, throwing a wrench in the feisty grower’s plans for expansion. Suspicions quickly focus on an employee who’s taken to the hills. 

Then Liz is found dead among her precious plants, stabbed by a pruning knife. In Salmon Falls, there’s one in every pocket. 

Pepper digs in, untangling the tensions between Liz and a local restaurateur with eyes on a picturesque but neglected farm, a jealous ex-boyfriend determined to profit from Liz’s success, and a local growers’ cooperative. She’s also hot on the scent of a trail of her own, sniffing out the history of her sweet dog, Arf. 

As Pepper’s questions threaten to unearth secrets others desperately want to keep buried, danger creeps closer to her and those she loves. Can Pepper root out the killer, before someone nips her in the bud?

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

ALL GOD'S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION, now available in in paperback and ebook 

Take a step back in time with All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection of historical short mysteries, featuring the Agatha-Award winning "All God's Sparrows" and other stories imagining the life of real-life historical figure Mary Fields, born into slavery in 1832, during the last thirty years of her life, in Montana. Out September 17, 2024 from Beyond the Page Publishing.  

“Finely researched and richly detailed, All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories is a wonderful collection. I loved learning about this fascinating woman . . . and what a character she is! Kudos to Leslie Budewitz for bringing her to life so vividly.” —Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of Crow Mary

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Spice Shop Mysteries set in Seattle's Pike Place Market, and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in NW Montana. As Alicia Beckman, she writes moody, standalone suspense, most recently Blind Faith. She is the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories: Best Nonfiction (2011), Best First Novel (2013), and Best Short Story (2018). Her latest books are To Err is Cumin, the 8th Spice Shop Mystery and All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection, in September 2024. Watch for Lavender Lies Bleeding, the 9th Spice Shop Mystery, on July 15, 2025.

A past president of Sisters in Crime and former national board member of Mystery Writers of America, Leslie lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.

Swing by Leslie's website and join the mailing list for her seasonal newsletter. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.