Soul Food · Authentic-ish Soul Food
Sweet Potato Biscuits
259 kcal a serving, against 351 for the traditional version. That is 92 kcal off, or 26%, with 11.4g of protein. Serves 6. 40 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Classic sweet potato biscuits are made by mixing plain flour, a heap of cold butter or shortening, mashed sweet potato, buttermilk, a touch of sugar and salt, then cutting out rounds and baking until golden. The fat is all about flaky texture and lift, as it melts and steams the dough from inside.
What changed, and what each change costs
100g butter for 40g butter
Butter gives you flaky layers and richness, but also most of the calories. Pulling it back still leaves enough flavour for a respectable biscuit.
What it costs you. The texture takes a pounding. You'll get a heavier, cakier crumb, and the flake is gone. If you want sky-high, buttery layers, this isn't it.
Full-fat buttermilk for 0% fat Greek yoghurt plus a splash of water
Buttermilk wets the dough and brings some tang, but swapping for yoghurt and diluting it keeps the protein up and the fat down.
What it costs you. The tang is a bit muted, and the dough dries quicker, so you need to work fast. There's a slight chew you wouldn't get in the classic.
Increase sweet potato to 250g
More sweet potato gives a moist crumb and makes up for the lack of fat. It also sneaks in a little more protein without wrecking the flavour (just don't expect wonders).
What it costs you. You'll get a denser texture and a darker orange colour. They're now more definitely 'sweet potato' than 'biscuit'.
Add 40g whey protein powder to the flour
This is what bumps the protein up, without the dough turning into a brick. Mix it well or you'll get lumps. It's not traditional, but the result isn't as odd as it sounds.
What it costs you. If you use a weirdly flavoured protein powder, you'll taste it. Use plain, unflavoured, and hope nobody looks too closely at the label.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 351 | 259 |
| Protein | 6.5g | 11.4g |
| Fat | 14.7g | 6g |
| Saturated fat | 8.9g | 3.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 48.4g | 39.9g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 1.8g | 4.4g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Soul Food prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, milk.
The method is in the book
There's no getting round it: cut this much fat and you'll miss the flake and the lift. But what you get is still a proper, soft, slightly sweet biscuit that feels like breakfast instead of pudding. It's heavier, the crumb is tighter, and nobody's fooled. Still, eaten warm with a dab of butter or maple syrup, it's a fair trade when you want a nod to tradition without the morning's worth of calories. The second one is always better than the first.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Soul Food, along with 52 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.