The introduction to fall has been an interesting one. I mean typically, I don’t even pay attention to the change of the seasons until I become annoyed by the reaction of my allergies to the first pollen breeze, chill of wind upon my face or warmth of sun upon my car seats. All of these things an indication that the season has changed and we are walking into a new cycle of life. One where our blankets fall from the attics and our heaters blow the dusts of summers neglect away. 
I have to admit there is a soft spot in my heart for the fall. I adore the quilt of colors brought to us by the leaves aging. The rustling and crunch of your feet in the grass conjuring yesteryear’s thoughts of s’mores and diving into mountains of raked leaves.
I was sitting in the waiting room while my wife was in surgery when I thought of these biscuits. Her parents and I fretting on the inside but doing our best not to let it show. I was holding on tight to a cup of hot chocolate mixed with coffee that I swear never left the cup no matter how much I drank. Oh, hospitals and those small styrofoam cups that remind you so coldly of where you are. When will they ever learn? 
Jenna’s been having an ovarian cyst issue that required moving along with some other abdomen problems due to a botched surgery from our past. We were told post-surgery that they found scar tissue from that surgery and a couple of fibroid that needed to be removed. If that wasn’t enough the doctor with this look of discontent said, ” if we were thinking of having children we would need to do so sooner than later.” (Well, good morning to you too.) was the initial thought that jumped into my head, but this wasn’t the doctors fault and we were already aware that the road to having children would not be that of an easy one. And this is OK with us. God has his own divine timing and though we are often impatient in waiting for things to unfold. We’re good with just enjoying each others company until then.
Don’t ask me what the correlation between scary waiting rooms and biscuits have to do with each other because I honestly don’t know. But I knew I had no idea of what to take to Nashville Food Bloggers CSA Potluck the following Sunday. And maybe this is what my brain does when in uneasy situations. It goes directly to the chamber of comfort foods I have stored away in my mind. These biscuits were practically an experiment of sorts.
I found the recipe on a farmgirl’s dabbles for Pumpkin Biscuits with Candied Ginger. And I’m not good at simply making a recipe without a few minor changes, not always for the better, but you gotta try. So any-who, once I put my spin on them, they were no longer the same. If you make these biscuits you’ll get a heartier biscuit that’s somewhere between sweet and savory. Which I believe will make them the perfect appetizer, bread with dinner or even dessert with a little bit of your favorite flavor of cream cheese. Also recommended by the original recipe, a little honey butter, I concur.
What are some of your favorite fall baking recipes and how do you keep them interesting? I’d love to hear from you.
Pumpkin Cranberry & Apple Biscuits
adaptation via A farmgirl’s dabbles
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. Kosher salt
6 T. chilled butter (cubed)
1/2 c. buttermilk
3/4 c. canned pumpkin puree (not pre-spiced)
3 T. Honey
2 T. chopped candied ginger
1/2 c. chopped apples
1/2 c. dried cranberries
Method
1.Preheat oven to 375 and spray or butter cookie sheet. set aside.
2.Add flour, baking powder, salt, and spices and whisk together. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Place in the refrigerator to chill about 15-20 min.
3. Combine apples, cranberries, pumpkin, buttermilk,and ginger in a bowl and combine. Add this mixture by the heaping spoonfuls until you have a tacky dough that forms a ball.
Side Note: it is essential that you do not move too fast. Slowly work the dry and wet ingredients together without over-mixing the batter. This is the key to happy, fluffy biscuits.
4. There is no kneading or rolling unless you want the perfectly shaped round biscuits. I went with the drop biscuit method. I used a 3/4 fluid oz scoop which will roughly be about an ounce of dough per biscuit.
5. Leave a 1/2 an inch of space between the biscuits. Bake for about 6-8 minutes. Due to their size they won’t take long to cook, but like I always say. “No two ovens are the same.” so you be the judge. I hope you enjoy.
Side Note: In the photos you’ll see that I sprinkled brown sugar on a few and some kosher salt on others. Just for a bit of added flavor.
I hope your wife is recovering well. The biscuits look wonderful – what a lovely combination of ingredients. Fall baking recipes? Hmm…. I love fresh, fall apples and have an apple cake recipe I have not made in a long time. I may just have to dig that up this month!
Thanks Ann. She is on a slow path to recovery, but doing better than expected. I like the sound of apple cake. My grandmother used to make an apple bundt cake with an apple cider glaze. I wish I could find that recipe. it was so good.
Charles, good thoughts are being sent your way for you and your wife and family. It is rather amazing how “un-people friendly” hospitals can be isn’t it? Comfort and gentleness is what patients and family both need…a cozy family feeling should abound! It boggles the mind.
I adore this recipe and plan to make these real soon. Just the sort of comfort we all need at times.
By the way your name popped up during a conversation I was having with my friend and Relish editor a few days ago. I told her about your blog and your writing so I think your world will collide with hers soon.
If it is okay with you I am also going to pass your name onto a cookbook editor friend and co-worker of mine. I think she would love your stories.
Best to you and yours this October.
Teresa, thank you for thinking about me. It really does mean a lot to me. And no, I don’t mind if you pass my name along to your friend.Yes, it does boggle the mind as to why hospitals are not more comforting. Especially when the majority of time spent there for most is a time of healing.
These biscuits were so good I’m contemplating turning them into a family tradition of sorts to make for the holidays. I just have to make them gluten free. Which means they’re will be plenty of mistakes to eat until I figure out the conversion. Thanks again!
I make pecan pie each Thanksgiving and follow the “high altitude” recipe on the back of the corn syrup bottle. To be honest, pecan pie is really, really no big deal. People think it is, but it’s just a whole bunch of eggs, two kinds of sugar, and pecans…all thrown together in a pre-made pie crust (Pillsbury in a roll). Hate that it’s not a more complicated or family-tradition-like tale 🙂