Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This is basically like Candied Sweet Potatoes but with a whole different texture. Brian and I also make mashed sweet pototoes without the sweeteners and spices. When mashing add just the butter and salt and a little pepper.

2-1/2 to 3 pounds sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Pinch each of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and ground cloves (more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Scrub the potatoes until clean. Prick all over with fork. Place in a low baking pan and bake in a 350° F. oven until they are soft, about 1 -2 hours depending on the size. Baking the potatoes, as opposed to steaming them, caramelizes the sugars in the potatoes giving them extra flavor.

If you prefer to cook your potatoes on the stovetop, either steam the potatoes or use a tip from Cook's Country rather than boiling them as you would regular white potatoes. If you boil sweet potatoes, they will soak up too much water, and the resulting mash will be a soggy mess. Cook's Country says, "Better to cook them in a small amount of of liquid. Just 2 tablespoons of heavy cream (plus a little butter), along with the water released from the sweet potatoes as they cook, is enough to steam them into tenderness."

Once the potatoes are baked and the sugars have caramelized, cut in half and scoop out pulp with a spoon. Place in mixing bowl. Add the butter, brown sugar, spices, salt and pepper. Mash until desired consistency. (More than likely, the potatoes will have enough moisture as is. If not, add a little milk.) Place in microwavable baking dish or serving bowl. Dot with butter, drizzle with the maple syrup and sprinkle with additional cinnamon. Just before serving, microwave on high until hot. The length of time to reheat depends on how long the potatoes were sitting. They can also be reheated in a 400° oven for about 20 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6