Happy New Year!
I’m about to go make one of my favorite recipes for our New Year’s meal, and I thought I might as well share it with you. These spiced sweet potatoes go well with ham, turkey, chicken, is relatively healthy, and gets rave reviews whenever I make it. Reheats well. Even my teenagers like it!
SPICED SWEET POTATOES
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Yield: 10 servings
This came from Raeanne Sarazen, a test kitchen director,
who adapted her mother’s “candied” sweet potato casserole
made with lots of brown sugar and holiday spices. She left
out the marshmallows that all her siblings enjoyed. It can be
made a day ahead and reheated before serving.
6 sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons cold water
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup light brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter
Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon each, ground: nutmeg, cinnamon,
cardamom
3/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts, see note
1. Place sweet potatoes in large saucepan; add water to
cover. Heat to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until
potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; cool.
Slice 1/2-inch thick. Place in greased 13-by-9-inch
baking dish; set aside. (Can be done 3 hours ahead and
left at room temperature.)
2. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix water and cornstarch
in small bowl until smooth; set aside. Heat sugar and
butter over low heat in small saucepan until sugar is
dissolved. Stir in lemon zest, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and
cardamom. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Pour syrup over
potatoes; toss to coat well. Sprinkle with walnuts.
3. Cover with foil; bake 20 minutes. Remove foil; stir
potatoes gently. Bake until liquid bubbles and potatoes
are glazed, about 10 minutes more.
Test kitchen note: To toast walnuts, place them on
baking sheet; toast in 350-degree oven until light brown
and fragrant, about 15 minutes.