MERINGUE-TOPPED SWEET-POTATO CASSEROLE

MERINGUE-TOPPED SWEET-POTATO CASSEROLE image

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
Salt
½ cup half-and-half
¾ cup brown sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch cayenne pepper
Oil or butter for greasing the pan
1 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter
1½ cups sugar

Steps:

1. Put the sweet potatoes in a large pot with a few pinches of salt and add enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the potatoes are fully tender, about 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly. 2. Return the now-empty pot to the heat for a few seconds to dry it out, then remove from the heat. Put the sweet potatoes through a potato ricer back into the pot (or mash them by hand). Add the half-and-half, ¼ cup of the brown sugar, the egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla, ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon, the cayenne, and a pinch of salt. (Put the egg whites in an airtight container and refrigerate until Step 4.) Stir to combine. Grease a 9- by 13-inch pan, and spread the sweet potato mixture into the pan. 3. Put the pecans, flour, butter, the remaining ½ cup brown sugar, the remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl; blend with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the pecan mixture evenly over the sweet potato mixture. (At this point, you can cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to a day before proceeding.) 4. Heat the oven to 350°F. Bake the sweet-potato casserole for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites with the whisk attachment of a stand mixer (or a handheld electric mixer) until soft peaks form. Continue to beat as you gradually add first the sugar and then the remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla; stop beating when stiff peaks form. Spread the meringue over the sweet potatoes, and continue to bake at 350°F until the meringue is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm. (Store leftover sweet-potato casserole covered with foil or plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to a few days.)