Orange-Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Cookbook Category: Vegetables & Sides

Sweet potatoes can be boiled, roasted and fried, but for this recipe the texture is better when they are baked. Also, they are very easy to peel when baked. To bake, wash them well and poke several holes in the skin with a fork. Place on a pan in a 375°F oven, and cook until fork tender, about 45 minutes. You can save some time by baking them in the microwave for 5 or 6 minutes, or until they are easily pierced with a fork, but the texture is slightly different and, to my mind, not quite as good. The better time-saving option is to oven bake them a day or two before, let them cool, then refrigerate until a few hours before starting this recipe, so they can come up to room temperature.

4 medium sweet potatoes, baked (see Note below)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons dry sherry (not cooking sherry)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

As soon as the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and quarter them and place in the baking dish. Sprinkle with salt.

Combine the brown sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in the orange juice and raisins. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add the butter, pecans and sherry, and stir until butter is melted.

Pour glaze over sweet potatoes. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.