Sides, Potatoes: Make and Freeze Sweet Potato and Pear Swirls with praline topping Recipe

By LynnK

The "swirls" are made by using a frosting decorating bag with a large star tip to pipe the sweet potato mixture in a round, swirly, "soft-serve ice cream" kind of shape. If you don't have or don't want to fuss with the decorating bag, just spoon the sweet potato mixture on to the baking pan.

Ingredients

• Praline Topping:
• 4 medium sweet potatoes or yams (about 2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 medium ripe pears, peeled, halved, cored, and chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1 recipe Praline Topping (below)
• .................................................................
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 tablespoon half-and-half or light cream
• 1/3 cup broken or chopped pecans

Preparation

Step 1

Make Praline Topping first:

In a small bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons melted butter, then add 1 tablespoon half-and-half or light cream. Stir in 1/3 cup pecans. Set the praline topping aside.

Next make the Pear/Sweet Potato Mixture:

1. Peel and quarter sweet potatoes. Cook potatoes, covered, in a small amount of boiling slightly salted water for 25 to 35 minutes or until tender. Drain well.

2. Meanwhile, melt margarine or butter in a medium skillet. Add chopped pears; cook, covered, over medium heat until very tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Combine potatoes, pear mixture, and cinnamon in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer on low speed. COOL slightly.

4. With electric mixer running on low speed, beat egg into cooled mixture. Using a decorating bag with a large star tip, pipe mixture into 12 rounds (about 1/3 cup each) onto a greased 15x10x1-inch bakingpan, building up edges slightly. (Or, spoon into 12 rounds on baking pan, using back of a tablespoon to make a slight indentation in center of each.) Cover and chill overnight, if desired.

5. Before serving, drop a scant teaspoon of Praline Topping on each round. Bake in a 375 degree F oven about 15 minutes or until potatoes are light brown and heated through.

Makes 12 servings

Make-Ahead Tip

Prepare rounds and freeze until firm. Transfer frozen potatoes to a freezer container; freeze for up to 1 month. To serve frozen rounds, place on a greased baking sheet. Drop a scant teaspoon of Praline Topping on each round. Bake in a 375 degree F. oven about 20 minutes or until potatoes are light brown and heated through