Southern Belle’s Sweet Potato Biscuits are a hit for tea time
A few friends and I visited Southern Belle for tea, and while everything was wonderful, the sweet potato biscuits were a standout. I’d love to attempt them in my own kitchen.
— Aubrey Leynard, Decatur
Southern Belle’s chef and owner Joey Ward began offering “Royal Tea Service” in 2024. Ward says he wanted to bring his version of tea service to Atlanta, influenced by time spent working at a British tea house while he was enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America.
For the tea service, which is offered the second Sunday of every month, each table receives a tiered stand with sweet and savory treats, and each guest chooses from a selection of four hot teas. The pastries, including the sweet potato biscuits, are the creation of pastry chef Kristia Paz-Kilbourne.
“Our sweet potato biscuit offered in the Southern Belle tea service is a take on a traditional Southern-style buttermilk biscuit. We use sweet potatoes sourced from local farmers and serve the biscuits with clotted cream and jam,” Ward said.
A baked medium (½ pound) sweet potato, with the skin removed and whipped in a food processor until smooth, will yield at least ¾ cup of sweet potato puree needed for the recipe.
Southern Belle’s Sweet Potato Biscuits
- 1½ sticks plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1½ tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¾ cup low-fat buttermilk
- ¾ cup sweet potato puree
- Using the large holes of a box grater, grate 1½ sticks butter onto a plate and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 5 minutes.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add grated butter and, using your hands, toss until butter is coated with flour and evenly distributed in the mix.
- In a small bowl, stir together buttermilk and sweet potato puree. Pour buttermilk mixture into flour mixture and use a fork to combine.
- Transfer dough to work surface lightly dusted with flour. Pat dough into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle and fold in half. Rotate dough 90 degrees and fold in half again. Pat dough into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle again.
- Use a 3-inch cutter to cut out biscuits and arrange on prepared baking sheet. Push scraps together and cut additional biscuits.
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.
- While biscuits bake, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Remove biscuits from oven and brush tops with melted butter. Serve immediately.
Makes 10.
Per biscuit: 320 calories (percent of calories from fat, 46), 5 grams protein, 38 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 17 grams total fat (10 grams saturated), 43 milligrams cholesterol, 544 milligrams sodium.
From the menu of ... Southern Belle, 1043 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-698-3961, southernbelleatl.com.
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