LEFTOVER MASHED POTATO BISCUITS
WITH CRANBERRY BUTTER
PREP TIME
15 minutes
ACTIVE TIME
35 minutes
TOTAL TIME
1 hour 5 minutes
MODERATE
FOR THE BISCUITS
2¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes
⅔ cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing
1 large egg
FOR THE CRANBERRY BUTTER
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅓ cup leftover cranberry sauce
1. Make the biscuits: Adjust an oven rack to the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt (add more or less salt depending on how salty your mashed potatoes are), and pepper.
3. Set a box grater into the dry ingredients and grate the frozen butter on the large holes directly into the flour mixture. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and any butter pieces are no larger than a pea. Add the mashed potatoes and use a fork to mix until they’re evenly incorporated and the mixture resembles clumpy wet sand.
4. Make a well in the center of the mashed potato mixture and add the buttermilk and egg. Use the fork to mix until the dough loosely comes together and there aren’t any dry spots, but take care not to overmix.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times, just until the dough comes together (do not overmix). Pat the dough into a 9-inch square about 1 inch thick, then cut it into 16 squares. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches apart and brush them all over with buttermilk. Bake the biscuits until the tops are lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
6. While the biscuits cool, make the cranberry butter: In the bowl of a small food processor, combine the butter and cranberry sauce and process until the mixture is completely blended and smooth (a few visible bits of cranberry are okay). Scrape the butter into a small bowl and serve it alongside the warm biscuits.
Use extra cranberry sauce in this a-snap-to-make butter. Cranberry sauce is the one thing there is always extra of!