Sweet Potato Biscuits with Maple Bacon

Make the Maple Bacon

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place wire rack on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Lay bacon strips flat on the rack and bush with half of the maple syrup. Bake, 10 minutes. Remove from oven, flip bacon, and bush with remaining maple syrup. Continue baking about 10-12 minutes, until bacon is brown and crisp. Remove from oven, let cool, and chop or crumble. Chill until ready to use.

Make the Sweet Potato Biscuits

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. In a large bowl, sift together cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Add chilled butter cubes. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into dry ingredients until pea-sized pieces of butter remain. Stir in crumbled bacon.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together mashed sweet potato and buttermilk. Pour into center of butter and flour mixture, tossing with a fork just to combine (mixture will look dry and scraggly---resist the urge to add more buttermilk!). Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured board, and gently knead, about 5 times, until dough comes together (for tender biscuits, do not overwork dough).
4. With a lightly-floured rolling pin, or your hands, gently roll or pat dough into a rectangle, about 3/4-inch thick. Fold the dough in thirds, as if folding a business letter. Turn the dough 90-degrees and repeat the rolling and folding process.
5. Roll or pat dough into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle. Using a 2-1/2 inch round biscuit cutter that has been lightly dipped in flour, cut biscuits by pressing down firmly in a single motion. Do not twist biscuit cutter, as this will affect the dough's ability to rise and form layers. One swift motion down and up is all you need. Space cuts as close together as possible. Gently press dough scraps together and continue cutting biscuits.** Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Chill 10 minutes. Lightly brush tops of dough rounds with reserved buttermilk.
6. Bake 15-18 minutes, until biscuits have risen and are a light golden brown. Remove from oven, let biscuits stand about 3 minutes, and transfer to wire racks to cool. Serve just slightly warm or at room temperature.