I have been in a biscuit haze lately. And since Fall really is here with cool weather and pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING, well, I pumpkinned up too. I love pumpkin. It’s so versatile and easy going. You can sweeten it or spice it up or it can just sit there, in the background, being a vegetable. Or fruit. Or gourd. Or whatever name it’s “seeds on the inside” biology give it. Somebody else can google that. All I care about is that pumpkin season is one of my favorites and this year I’ve started the season with pumpkin biscuit cups. I mean, hallelujah!
Once again, this gem is completely inspired by Carrie Morrey of Callie’s Biscuits. I just put it all in a recipe and pimped it with caramelized onions. I like the spice from the peppercorns, the sweetness from the onions and pumpkin, the fat of the sausage, the staple of the grits and the sharpness of the cheese. It just all makes a happy little breakfast party. I’m freezing some of mine to make easy peasy breakfast go tos. You should too. Or serve this at a fancy brunch with tea cups and pinkies in the air. It’s totally worth the complex multi-tasking this recipe takes. You can do it!
- ½ lb. spicy suasage
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cups self-rising flour, more for dusting
- 5 tbsp. butter at room temperature (divided)
- 2 oz. (1/4 cup) cream cheese
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ pureed pumpkin
- 1 tbsp. cracked peppercorn
- ½ cup stoneground grits
- 1⅛ cup boiling water
- ¾ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Fry sausage in 15, 1 inch rounds on medium high heat.
- As the sausage cooks, chop your onion first in half then in thin slices length wise.
- When the sausage is done and no longer pink in the middle (3-5 minutes per side) remove it from the pan. Leaving the grease in the pan, place the sliced onions and begin to caramelize them on medium low heat as you make the biscuits and grits stirring onions occasionally (about 20 minutes).
- Put water for grits on to boil.
- Place 2 cups of self-rising flour in a clean bowl with 4 tbsp. of butter cuts into cubes and 2 oz. of cream cheese. Work the flour together with your hands until the butter and cream cheese is incorporated. You are massaging the fat and flour together. The mixture will resemble course sand when ready.
- Pour buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and peppercorn into the flour mixture and mix with a spoon. All flour should be incorporated and the dough will come together in a ball.
- Liberally flour a work surface and turn the dough out. Liberally sprinkle the dough with flour and roll thin (about ⅛-1/4 inch). Cut into rounds larger than your muffin pan cups.
- Prepare your muffin tins by spraying them liberally with cooking oil and lightly dusting with flour.
- Place a biscuit round into each muffin cup and press gently into the muffin cup so that the dough has a distinct well in the center.
- Place biscuits in the oven and set a timer for 12 minutes.
- Stir grits into boiling water. Bring to boil again, reduce heat, and cover stirring occasionally while biscuits cook.
- Grate cheddar cheese and melt 1 tbsp of butter.
- After biscuits have cooked for 12 minutes, remove them from the oven and brush with melted butter. Place back in the oven for 2 minutes.
- When biscuits are done gently press the well to make room for fillings if the well has risen too much.
- Fill each biscuit cup with 1 tbsp. grits, one sausage round, ½ tbsp caramelized onion and 1 tbsp. cheddar cheese. Your toppings will rise well above the biscuit center. It's OK.
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