The Saga of the 37 Pumpkins Installment no. 7 - Honey Pumpkin Biscuits

"Help! Help! My grandfather has been stolen!"

A thin, desperate cry penetrated the cool morning air. The pumpkins stirred from their sleep, at first slowly, then moving with greater speed, their motion increased by their concern about the shriek coming from one of their patchmates.
A girl stood in front of the others. She flung her stalk about her face and began to weep.

Jack and Patch recognized the girl. They had been next-door neighbors in the patch. Patch was too shy to console her, but his brother lunged forth and embraced the girl.

"Shhh," he said, "Don't cry."

The girl looked up and wiped a tear from her eye.

"Thank you, Jack. I shouldn't be so upset, I'm sorry." she looked at the crowd of pumpkins about her, all sticky and slow from sleep. "No need to linger. I'll be alright."

Everyone began to glide back towards their homes. Old Cucurbita turned around and flashed a warning glance at Jack.

He wrapped his stalk about the girl's back and proceeded to lead her further away from the masses.

"Maxima, is it?"

"Yes, that's my name," the girl wiped another tear from her cheek with a smile.

"Well, Maxima, what if I told you that you absolutely should be upset," he paused and looked out of the window at the rising sun, "What if I told you that there were no keepers?"

"Why, I don't know. What are you saying?"

Jack grinned. "You know Cucurbita, yes?"

Maxima nodded.

Jack closed his eyes and allowed the powerful words rise to the surface like cream on milk. "She's the keeper. She's the plague. And we must exterminate that plague before it takes us all."

But Maxima didn't hear. She'd left to visit her grandfather.

And then there were 29...

For the complete Saga archives, click here.

Honey Pumpkin Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour (we used whole wheat)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 pinch of ground cloves 
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 3/4 cups buttermilk

Instructions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and spices.

In a glass measuring cup combine the pumpkin, honey, and buttermilk, and whisk with a fork to combine.

Cut the butter into the flour mixture using your fingers, two knives, or a pastry cutter until no pieces larger than a pea remain.

Stir all but the last 1/4 cup of the buttermilk mixture in with a fork to just combine. If mixture seems dry, add the additional 1/4 cup. It should be a sticky dough. 

Turn dough out onto a well floured work surface. Dough will be sticky. Sprinkle top of dough with flour, and pat into a rectangle. fold in half, rotate clockwise, pat back out, and fold again. Repeat this one more, and then gently pat the dough out to about 1- inch thick.

Grease a baking sheet, and using a floured 2.5 inch biscuit cutter, or other kitchen tool suitable for this purpose, cut out the biscuits being careful to not twist the cutter. Place the biscuits on the sheet with sides touching. Continue rolling scraps of dough and cutting into biscuits.

When all is cut, bake the biscuits for 10 to 13 minutes until risen and cooked through.

This recipe makes approximately 10 biscuits.

Enjoy!

recipe adapted from Food52