My usual favorite way to eat sweet potatoes, or yams, is simply baked, with a little butter. This is my favorite, special-occasion way, de rigueur for Thanksgiving, Christmas and big family gatherings. I adapted it from my mom's recipe, which used canned pineapple.
Bake, peel and whip the potatoes. Mix the milk, vanilla, sugar and butter; scald the mixture. Add to the potatoes, then add the orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, pecans and pear purée. Pour into a baking dish and bake at 350F for 15 minutes or so, until thoroughly warmed through.
- 8 medium sweet potatoes (or yams, preferably)
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon, freshly ground if possible
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 4 fresh pears, peeled and cored, gently poached until tender, pureed
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Don't even think of putting marshmallows on this ... gak.
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