Sweet Potato Casserole aka Candy Potatoes

When my cousin was a toddler (she's now nearly eight), she called these candy potatoes, and the name just stuck. These are heavenly, and it does not need to the Thanksgiving to have sweet potato casserole. We have the same meal for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter...essentially we have Thanksgiving three times a year. Sweet potatoes have a special spot on the buffet every time.

This recipe has been heavily adapted (read: lightened up) from one of the local church cookbooks my mother has had for quite a while. It's is the only recipe we use out of that book, so you needn't look for the page. It's the only wrinkly and soiled one in the book.

While this may seem time-intensive, not necessarily labor-intensive, you will not regret the extra steps. Compared to your typical SPC, this one tastes fresh, because it is made with baked sweet potatoes (not the ones on the bottom of the grocery shelf in heavy syrup). It's also smooth and creamy, and there's a secret to that! You've got to keep reading to find out.

After each tri-annual feast, the men normally pass out on the floor and my young cousins run and jump on their full bellies. This year, the men got smart and passed out in the den and, thus, out of harm's way. We make a double (it fills TWO 9"x13" glass dishes), so if you are not feeding an army of hungry, tired-of-taking-the-family-Christmas-photo folks, make the single (below).

Casserole:
3 large sweet potatoes, baked, cooled, and skinned
1/3 - 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 can evaporated milk
2 t. vanilla
1/2 stick butter, softened

To bake the sweet potatoes, wrap individually in foil and place on a foiled baking sheet. Without the foil on the cookie sheet, there will be a lot of scrubbing. Bake on 325 until a fork or knife inserts smoothly. They must be completely done. If not, you will have little lumps, even after all of the beating that goes on.

Sweet potatoes draining

Preheat oven to 300. Now that you have let the potatoes cool completely, unwrap them and peel the skin off. It should separate very easily. You may remove the foil after removing the potatoes from the oven to expedite the cooling process, just don't burn yourself. You may want to let them drain/cool in a colander, as they oftentimes give off a little liquid.

STRINGS--the enemy!!

No strings!

Place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Here's the trick to prevent the hairy strings harbored by sweet potatoes, and it takes maybe five extra minutes. So after you cream the potatoes with the mixer, you will see the strings get wrapped around the beaters. DO NOT knock them back into the bowl. Rinse them off and continue to cream the potatoes by themselves. Do this process (cream the potatoes, then rinse beaters) at least two more times. Each time you will collect fewer and fewer strings.

Once you have removed the strings, add sugar and eggs, one at a time. Add milk and vanilla with a spoon to prevent too many splatters. Add butter.

Pour into greased 9x13 glass baking dish.

Topping:
3/4 c brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/2 stick butter, softened
pinch of salt
handful of chopped pecans (totally optional, we never put these in, but for some, I know, it isn't SPC without pecans)

Mix the topping with your hands or the back of a spoon. Drop by small pieces on the casserole. They will melt a little while cooking and form a crispy, sweet topping.

Bake at 300 for 40 minutes or until the topping starts to bubble. Let set/cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy your candy potatoes!