A Visit From Santa

Santa Claus has left the building! Actually, we had a nice chat before he left, but before I get to far ahead of myself, I had better go back to the beginning.

After all the nice things Santa has given over the years, I decided to return the favor and prepare a surprise for him this Christmas. After doing a few quick calculations, I realized that the jolly old elf travels 11,867,284 miles before reaching my home. I knew he was going to be tired. On top of that, he stops at 132 million homes, and at each one he eats a whole plate of cookies! Talk about a carb overload. I knew Santa needed something special, so I decided to make him my fluffy Sweet Potato Biscuits. Since Sweet Potatoes have a low glycemic index, they would give him the long lasting energy he needed for his journey instead of the sugar rush he usually gets from all those cookies. I quickly got too work, and not a moment too soon. Right as they came out of the oven, Santa came down the chimney. I crossed my fingers as he took a bite.

"Wow, these are delicious," Santa said, laughing merrily.

He ate a few more while he filled the stockings and carefully put presents under the tree. As he turned to leave, he hesitated by the fireplace.

"What is it, Santa?" I asked.

"Well, if it isn't too much trouble...Could you wrap up a few of those biscuits for my reindeer?"

Of course, I was happy to comply. With a jolly "Ho Ho Ho", he was gone up the chimney and on his way.


SWEET POTATO BISCUITS

• 1/2 cup, or about one medium sweet potato, cooked and mashed
• 11/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold
• 3/4 cup 2% milk

Instructions: Heat the oven to 450°.

Fill a medium-size pot with cold water. Quarter the sweet potato, add it to the pot, and bring to a boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until soft. Drain, let the potato cool completely, peel, and set aside. This can be done a day in advance.

Combine the flours, baking powder and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl. Stir to mix well. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Using your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until it has the consistency of corn meal. Chill the mixture until you are ready to use.

In a small bowl, combine the milk and cooled sweet potato and mix well using a fork or whisk. Add to the flour mixture all at once, and stir quickly until it just forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and with floured hands, knead until it just comes together. Do not overwork the dough, or it will become tough.

Pat the dough out until it is a 1/2-inch thick. Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter or with the floured top of a drinking glass. Gather the scraps, pat out and cut again until all the dough is used.

Place the dough rounds on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the biscuits are a light golden brown.