Sweet potato biscuits are southern style biscuits made extra fluffy and moist with pureed sweet potato. Cashew mushroom gravy is a savory and creamy vegan addition to these biscuits.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Chill biscuit making utensils in freezer for at least five minutes: medium mixing bowl, biscuit cutters, dough cutter or forks. Dice butter into small cubes and set in freezer with utensils.
Stir together dry ingredients in chilled mixing bowl: flour, baking powder, salt. Cut in butter into flour until pea sized (see external blog links for more information on biscuit making methods). Mix in sweet potato puree. Pour in milk and apple cider vinegar, mixing with wooden spoon until the dough comes together and slightly pulls away from the bowl.
Turn out the dough on to a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour your hands. Fold the dough on itself 3-4 times to create the "flakiness" of biscuits. Handle dough as minimally as possible; over kneading the dough builds gluten, which hardens the biscuits. Using a 3" biscuit cutter or sharp knife, cut out biscuits. Do not press down and turn if using a cup to cut the biscuits - this prevents the biscuit from rising as well.
Place biscuits on parchment paper lined sheet pan. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack. Keeps in fridge for 2-3 days.
Cashew mushroom gravy
Cover cashews in water and soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse cashews before using.
Add all ingredients, except mushrooms and oil, to a food processor or high powered blender. Process until cashews are mostly broken down, about 2-5 minutes depending on the strength of your blender. At this point, the cashew gravy will be thin.
Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add diced mushrooms and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
Pour gravy over the softened mushrooms and bring the heat to medium high. Stir gravy constantly with a whisk. Once the sauce starts boiling, lower it to a gentle simmer. The gravy will be thick enough when it coats the back of a spoon without dripping off. If you prefer thicker gravy, continue cooking at medium low heat until desired consistency is reached.
The gravy is best if eaten immediately. Pour over warm sweet potato biscuits and enjoy!
Notes
One large sweet potato yields ~1 cup of sweet potato. Poke a few holes in the sweet potato and wrap in foil. Bake in a 425 degree fahrenheit oven for 45 minutes to an hour, until soft. Remove the skin and mash with a fork or potato masher, or puree in blender.
Substitute regular butter for any vegan butter alternative. Vegan butter, such as Earth Balance or Miyoko's Creamery, yields the same flaky biscuit texture. Depending on the butter you choose, the biscuits may not brown as much; you may have to keep a closer eye to tell if they're done.