Over the years I’ve often eaten sweet potatoes that were “candied” with brown sugar or baked in a brown sugar sauce. I recently came across a hundred-year-old recipe with a “new” twist. It called for using maple syrup instead of brown sugar, and the sweet potatoes were mashed prior to baking.
The Mashed Sweet Potato Caramel was lovely. The caramelized maple syrup and butter topping was sweet and enchanting.
Here’s the original recipe:
I don’t generally have leftover cooked sweet potatoes in my refrigerator, so I started with whole sweet potatoes when I made this recipe and cooked them. I added about 2 tablespoons of milk to the sweet potatoes after I mashed them, and that seemed like about the right amount of added liquid. I seasoned the mashed sweet potatoes with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Mashed Sweet Potato Caramel
3 medium sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup butter
Put sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil using high heat, then reduce heat and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender when tested by inserting a knife (30-40 minutes). Remove from heat, drain, and cool slightly so the sweet potatoes can be handled. Gently remove the peels from the cooked sweet potatoes, then put in a mixing bowl and mash. Add milk, salt, and pepper; mix until combined. Put the mashed sweet potatoes in a baking dish.
In the meantime, preheat oven to 400° F. Put the maple syrup and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil using medium heat, then reduce heat and continue cooking until it begins to thicken (5 – 10 minutes). Pour over the mashed sweet potatoes in the baking dish. Put in oven and bake until hot and bubbly, and the maple syrup mixture begins to caramelize. (I baked for about 25 minutes, but the length of time varies greatly depending upon how hot the mashed sweet potatoes are when placed in the oven.)
Interesting! I’d never thought of using sweet potato as a pudding.
It was yummy.
Something different…did you enjoy it and would you have it again?
Yes, I liked it and would make it again. The presentation wasn’t as fancy as some other sweet potato dishes but it was very tasty.
Thank you, Sheryl 🙂
I have never really enjoyed the sweet potato with sugars and marshmallow for the dinner table but enjoy them as a desert. This looks like a great way to use them for that.
This is a nice change from the sweet potato dishes with marshmallows and brown sugar. That said, this dish is also sweet since it contains maple syrup.
Yep….straight to the dessert file!
I love sweet potato desserts like bread pudding. Why would the recipe call for pepper? I am sure there must be a reason, but I have never heard of using pepper on sweet potato anything.
Not sure – The original recipe just called for “pepper.” I decided to use 1/8 teaspoon when I made the recipe. I may have used more than what the recipe author intended. That said, the amount of pepper was small enough that I didn’t really notice it when I ate the sweet potatoes.
I think maple syrup makes anything better.
I agree. I have several recipes that I regularly make that call for maple syrup.
I hope to try this when daughter Kate is here for a week, starting tonight.
I think that you’ll like it. Have fun with your daughter!
Most unusual! You find the best recipes.
It’s nice to hear that you enjoy the recipes I select. I have fun deciding which ones to make.
It’s like opening a very old treasure box.
This sounds delicious!!
It’s tasty.
I may have son#1 make it for our Thanksgiving!