Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar and Pecans

 

While I was hunting for a sweeter version of sweet potatoes to serve alongside my Roasted Sweet Potato Salad, I happened upon this recipe on the Epicurious website. It was simple and light, and had a nice combination of sweet and savory. Plus it had a nice textural contrast between the whipped potatoes and the crunchy baked topping. It was a big hit with my "Second Thanksgiving Feast" guests and is going in the permanent recipe box. I made a small modification from the original recipe, cutting down the brown sugar in the topping. I also made sure to use pure vanilla extract that had been made with distilled alcohol, to keep the recipe gluten-free for some of my guests.

Topping: 

- 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (about 2 ounces)

- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Potatoes
- 5 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons salt

- Preheat oven to 350 deg. 

- Mix sugar, pecans and butter in small bowl. Cover and chill until ready to use. 

- Use either butter or a non-stick spray to prep a  13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.

- Cook sweet potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 12 minutes. Drain.

- Let them cool for a bit. 

- Purée sweet potatoes in processor. 

     - This is where I had to go through a few steps. It will most likely depend on what kind of equipment you have. I have a Cuisinart 6 cup food processor. After using the food processor, my potatoes looked like this:

 

They were still pretty grainy and lumpy. Next, I tried an immersion blender wand to whip them up, but they were too thick for that. Finally, I just stuck them in the blender. That did the trick. They came out smooth and fluffy like this: 

 

- Once you have settled on a method of whipping your potatoes into submission, beat the eggs, syrup, vanilla, lemon juice and salt in large bowl. Mix in the sweet potatoes. 

- Transfer sweet potato mixture to prepared dish. 

- Sprinkle pecan topping evenly over mixture.

- Bake until sweet potato mixture is set and topping bubbles, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes and serve.

Roasted sweet potato salad with cranberries and pecans

I am just now getting around to posting the recipes I whipped up for my "Second Thanksgiving Feast." I found this first recipe a few years ago somewhere on the interwebs, and it has become an annual favorite. It can really be eaten any time of year, but the cranberries and pecans make it particularly well-suited for an unexpected and refreshing take on the usual sweet potato dish. I will be posting a Whipped sweet potatoes with pecan and brown sugar topping recipe shortly, so there will be something  a little more traditional as well ;)

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Cranberries & Pecans


2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into bite-sized pieces
EVOO
Rosemary (fresh or dried)
S&P
2 tablespoons finely diced sweet onion
2 tablespoons chopped, toasted pecans
2 tablespoons dried cranberries (Craisins), coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey (citrus honeys are great here)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Dash of cayenne (optional if you want a bit of a kick)

- Preheat the oven to 350 deg.
- Toss the diced sweet potatoes with the EVOO, rosemary, and S&P. Spread them out on a baking pan.

- Roast for approximately 25-30 minutes or until a fork inserts easily into the potato. Keep in mind that these potatoes will be tossed with vinaigrette and other ingredients, so it's ok to leave them a bit more firm than you might otherwise.

- While they cool, whisk all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette.

- Combine the sweet potatoes, onions, parsley, cranberries, and chopped pecans in a large bowl.

- Toss with the vinaigrette- I would start with half and then add more based on personal preference. I typically only end up using half of the dressing for this amount of potatoes, but I leave the extra out for anyone who wants to add more.... or to make a second batch a few days later...