Scented Memory Sweet Potatoes Recipe
- 4 lbs of sweet potatoes peeled, cut in half length wise and cut into 1 inch slices.
- 3 cinnamon sticks broken in half
- 2 cups of apple cider
- 5 tablespoons of salted butter
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup of shelled and chopped pecans
Preparation
In a 12″ skillet add the sweet potatoes, cider, 4 tablespoons of
butter.cover and bring to a boil then then lower the heat and simmer
covered for 15 minutes.After 15 minutes add 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and stir until the sugar is melted and all the ingredients are incorporated.Simmer for 15 minutes uncovered. The liquid will begin to reduce and thicken.After the 15 minutes are up you can check to see that the potatoes are done by poking them with a fork. If the fork slides in freely then the potatoes are done.
At this point the aroma is going to be incredible and this is going to create what I like to call a “Scented Memory” you, your friends and
family will always remember this amazing aroma and connect it to you and the sweet potato dish you served.Now remove the cinnamon sticks and mash the potatoes with all the remaining liquid. You can do this several ways. You can do this by hand or use a mixer your choice. I love to mash them by hand the old fashion way. I love the texture and it will have some chunks which I like. At this point you can place the potatoes into a serving bowl and set aside.
THE CANDIED PECAN TOPPING
In a small sauce pan on a low heat add 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and toss in 1/2 cup of chopped pecans. This will take just a couple minutes and you need to stir a few times so not to burn the mixture. The idea here is to melt the butter and sugar and stir it to coat the pecans. Remove from the heat and spoon the pecans with the butter and sugar over the sweet potatoes. This dish is ready to serve.You can prepare the sweet potatoes ahead of time and re heat but the pecans must be prepared just before serving.
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