Sweet Potato Crunch
By Morgan BollingPublished on August 6, 2019
Time
2½ hours, plus 25 minutes cooling
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
4 pounds sweet potatoes, unpeeled4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted2 tablespoons Grand Marnier 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar 1 ¼ teaspoons table salt 1 teaspoon grated orange zestTopping
⅔ cup all-purpose flour ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar ¼ teaspoon table salt ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, meltedBefore You Begin
Buy potatoes of similar size and shape, no more than 1 pound each, so they cook at the same rate. Orange juice can be substituted for the Grand Marnier, if you prefer.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Poke potatoes several times with paring knife and space evenly on prepared sheet. Bake until potatoes are very tender and can be easily squeezed with tongs, 1¼ to 1½ hours. Let potatoes sit until cool enough to handle, at least 20 minutes.
- Remove and discard potato peels. Transfer potato flesh to large bowl and mash with potato masher until smooth. Stir in melted butter, Grand Marnier, sugar, salt, and orange zest. Transfer potato mixture to 8-inch square baking dish and spread into even layer with rubber spatula.
- Whisk flour, brown sugar, salt, and cayenne together in bowl until fully combined. Stir in melted butter until mixture forms clumps. Break into pea-size pieces and distribute evenly over sweet potato mixture.
- Bake until topping is fragrant and darkened slightly in color and potatoes are hot, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 25 minutes before serving.
- At end of step 2, let sweet potato mixture cool completely. Cover dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, and continue with step 3.
for the sweet potatoes
for the topping
to make ahead
Time
2½ hours, plus 25 minutes coolingYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
Topping
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
Topping
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
Topping
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Inspired by a family recipe, we were after a creamy sweet potato casserole topped with a crunchy, salty-sweet topping. Roasting the sweet potatoes rather than boiling or steaming them concentrated their sweet potato flavor. A splash of orange liqueur and a little brown sugar made them holiday-worthy. A simple stir-together streusel made with flour, brown sugar, salt, and melted butter tasted great and provided a contrasting crunch on top of the creamy sweet potatoes. A pinch of cayenne added to the topping carried a hint of heat.
Before You Begin
Buy potatoes of similar size and shape, no more than 1 pound each, so they cook at the same rate. Orange juice can be substituted for the Grand Marnier, if you prefer.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Poke potatoes several times with paring knife and space evenly on prepared sheet. Bake until potatoes are very tender and can be easily squeezed with tongs, 1¼ to 1½ hours. Let potatoes sit until cool enough to handle, at least 20 minutes.
- Remove and discard potato peels. Transfer potato flesh to large bowl and mash with potato masher until smooth. Stir in melted butter, Grand Marnier, sugar, salt, and orange zest. Transfer potato mixture to 8-inch square baking dish and spread into even layer with rubber spatula.
- Whisk flour, brown sugar, salt, and cayenne together in bowl until fully combined. Stir in melted butter until mixture forms clumps. Break into pea-size pieces and distribute evenly over sweet potato mixture.
- Bake until topping is fragrant and darkened slightly in color and potatoes are hot, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 25 minutes before serving.
- At end of step 2, let sweet potato mixture cool completely. Cover dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, and continue with step 3.
for the sweet potatoes
for the topping
to make ahead
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