These flavorful biscuits are sweet enough to have for breakfast (with a bit of butter and honey), but not so sweet that they seem out of place on the dinner table.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar, plus a little extra for topping
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup light cream, plus a little extra for glaze
1/3 cup solidly packed pumpkin mash or canned pumpkin
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1. Heat the oven to 375° F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Use your fingertips or a pastry blender to work in the butter. Keep mixing until the ingredients resemble a coarse, flaky meal, then stir in the chopped walnuts. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the cream, pumpkin, and honey. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the liquid into it. Stir briskly until the dough pulls together, then let it sit for 3 minutes.
2. Flour your hands and your work surface. Gently knead the dough into a ball, then pat it into a 1-inch-thick disk. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter or drinking glass, cut the dough into rounds and place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet, leaving a couple of inches between them. Repeat this process until you've used all the dough. Brush the biscuit tops sparingly with cream and then sprinkle on a little sugar.
3. Bake the biscuits on the center oven rack until they are light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Makes about 12 biscuits.
