Pecan-topped Sweet Potatoes (like yams but native to South America)
- 1 cup sweet potatoes (about 1 and 1/2 baked medium to small sized sweet potatoes)
- 2 Tablespoons white sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Egg beaters (or beat up 1 egg, measure out 2 Tablespoons and discard the rest)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 Tablespoons softened butter, divided
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 Tablespoons chopped pecans
Bake sweet potatoes on a foil lined cookie sheet for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Remove and allow to cool (can be baked 1-3 days ahead). Peel off skins and mash potatoes into 1-cup measuring cup until you have a full cup. Discard rest of baked sweet potatoes, or eat plain with a little butter, salt and pepper! OR, bake several extra potatoes and save them for red curry later in the week.
Using a hand mixer or mix-master, beat potatoes, white sugar, salt, egg or Egg Beaters, 1 Tablespoon butter, milk, and vanilla.
Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with Pam and turn the mashed sweet potatoes into the baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make the topping, the butter must be softened to room temperature. It can be cold and it can’t be melted or your topping will be a mess.
Place the flour and brown sugar in a small bowl. Mix these two ingredients with a fork to combine. Place the softened butter on top of the dry ingredients and cut it into the dry ingredients with two butter or dinner knives. Slice the two dull blades against each other and into the soft butter like you are cutting it with scissors. Keep cutting the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a fine, crumbly texture. Add in the pecans and stir with a fork. Sprinkle this topping over the mashed sweet potatoes.
Bake for 30 minutes and serve warm.
Makes 4 servings, about 1/3 cup per serving