Basic Baked Sweet Potato Recipe
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It may never replace your classic baked russet potato heaped with sour cream, but a baked sweet potato topped with molasses butter is a close runner-up.
This recipe was featured as part of our Fall Ingredients photo gallery.
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Slice an “X” into the top of a sweet potato and place it directly on the rack with a piece of foil on the rack below. Bake until the potato is easily pierced with a knife, about 60 to 70 minutes. Top with Molasses-Clove Compound Butter and serve.
Try with brown sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon, yummy
Forget the X.
Put onto a piece of foil to bake.
Just wait about 20 minutes and then insert one or two metal shish kabob skewers.
Cuts the baking time to about 45-50 minutes.
I like mine best with those tiny diced prosciutto cubes from Trader Joe's and some chopped chives and butter.
Is putting an X through the potato better than poking holes in it and wrapping in foil?
I often enjoy baked sweet potatoes with cinnamon and fresh, unsalted butter. Perhaps a sprinkle of nutmeg as well. Sometimes simplicity is indeed best. Though the bourbon butter suggestion above sounds heavenly.
Why pierce an X? To let out steam? And what do they mean by the "top" of the sweet potato? I think maybe you shouldn't do this, because it may interfere with the metabolic process that goes on in the potato when you start to bake it where it makes more sugars and tastes even sweeter
and I recommend keeping salt, molasses, and sweetened condensed milk around as condiments so you can pour them in and mix them into the flesh. Sweetened condensed milk is better than butter because it gives that creamy taste
I have leftover molasses from a Christmas recipe. I was thinking I might add some brown sugar to this compound butter, another ingredient I don't regularly use but have leftover from Christmas baking. I don't know how much though.
Butter that has been softened and mixed with molasses, salt, pepper, cloves and brown sugar served over a hot sweet potato - how could that be anything but delicious?
cookingwithdenay, I will have to see if there is any bourbon around the house to add in!
Several years ago I found a recipe for bourbon butter on a UK website. It is a bit tricky to make but I think I will try it again and bake sweet potatoes and see how this works. The bourbon butter was originally to be served on cinnamon and red currant scones. I will post the final result. Cheers.