Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
• 8-10 large sage leaves, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons) or 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg or freshly ground nutmeg
• ⅔ cup pumpkin puree
• ⅓ cup buttermilk, plus extra for brushing
• 1 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup
• ½ cup cold unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs of choice (rosemary, sage, thyme, chives, etc.)
• 1 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup
• coarse kosher salt, to season

Steps

1. Add the flour, baking powder, sage, salt and nutmeg to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
2. Add the pumpkin, buttermilk, and maple syrup to a small bowl – I typically just use a liquid measuring cup. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. Grab the cold butter from the refrigerator. Working quickly, grate the butter directly into the dry ingredients – the large holes-side of a standard box grater will work great. Stir to combine, coating the grated butter pieces with flour. No need to over mix or worry about the large pieces of butter – they are the key to flaky, tender biscuits.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the flour-butter mixture. Stir just until combined, taking care not to over mix the dough – the mixture will be very shaggy and crumbly at this point, and that is fine!
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to press the dough into a rectangle, roughly 10×4 inches. Fold the left third of the rectangle (horizontally) into the center of the rectangle; repeat with the right third. Rotate the dough 90 degrees, then press down on the layers, forming the dough into another 10×4 rectangle. Repeat the folding, turning, and pressing 2-3 more times. After the last turn, press the dough into a 10×4 rectangle, roughly ¾-inch thick.
6. Using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, cut into biscuits, reshaping any scraps until you have 9-10 biscuits. Instead, firmly press the biscuit cutter straight down through the dough and pull it straight back up, preserving its flaky layers.
7. Transfer the cut biscuits to a plate or small baking sheet and set in the freezer to chill for 10-15 minutes as the oven preheats.
8. Lightly grease a well-seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet and set aside.
9. Once the oven is preheated, remove the pumpkin biscuits from the freezer and transfer to the prepared skillet. The biscuits may need to touch in places in order for them to fit in the skillet, which is totally fine. Brush the tops of the biscuits with buttermilk. Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and shiny.
10. Meanwhile, as the biscuits bake, prep the garlic herb butter. Add the butter, garlic, herbs and maple syrup to a small bowl. Stir to combine. Taste and season with salt or ground black pepper, as desired. Set aside, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
11. Serve warm, slathered with garlic herb butter. For a festive touch, press half a pecan and fresh herbs into the top of the biscuits for a pumpkin-like appearance. Enjoy!