By Victoria Abbott aka Mary Jane and Victoria Maffini aka Santa's Elves - with giveaways!
Are you all getting ready for the holidays?
Everyone is excited around here! Peach is hiding, but excitedly.
We are continuing our veggie challenge even during (our fabulous and fun) Mystery Lovers Kitchen Christmas theme week here at Mystery Lovers Kitchen. Santa is also doing a giveaway. Make sure you read all the way.
We may be skirting our good intentions just a bit with brown sugar and maple syrup in this sweet potato dish. But hey, ‘tis the season.
We did a survey elsewhere about favorite holiday veggie dishes and sweet potato dishes were very strong contenders for top spot. We thought we’d dress them up a bit and have been experimenting all week with proportions and with and without eggs and cream. Without won. We also tried whole pecans (prettier) and chopped pecans (tastier). We ended up liking the chopped pecans better, BUT the whole pecans looked prettier. That's what you're seeing! But suit yourself if you're making it.
A word about proportions: the nice thing about cooking with veggies is you can increase and decrease ingredients to suit your preferences. We might add a bit more brown sugar if using whole pecans, or we might not. Time will tell.
The resulting dish was sweeter than we usually make our sweet
potatoes, but we thought it was worth it, especially as our holiday dinners
tend to be savory. We liked that it can be made up to two days ahead too.
GIVEAWAY!
GIVEAWAY!
Note from Santa: even though MJ and Victoria are continuing their veggie challenge (leave a comment to get your name in the draw for the pretty platter at the end of the post), I., Santa, am offering all good little cooks and cozy readers here a chance to get an audio of The Hammett Hex! Just leave a comment and you’ll go in the Santa hat. And your name will also go in the ‘platter draw’. Ho. Ho. Ho.
Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Maple Syrup and Pecans
Ingredients:
4 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
4 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
1/8 cup tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Juice from half a lemon
½ teaspoons salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 pinch pepper
¾ cup chopped pecans(or whole)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
Directions:
In large saucepan of boiling salted
water, cover and cook sweet potatoes until tender, about 18 minutes. Drain and
return to pot. Using electric beaters, immersion or your old traditional masher,
beat or mash until very smooth.
In bowl, beat together maple syrup, two tablespoons of melted butter, lemon juice, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper; beat into sweet potatoes.
In bowl, beat together maple syrup, two tablespoons of melted butter, lemon juice, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper; beat into sweet potatoes.
Transfer to a greased 9 x 9-inch ceramic
baking dish. (If you are making ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to two
days; bake for 10 minutes longer if it has been in fridge.)
Stir pecans with brown sugar; sprinkle over potatoes. Drizzle with three tablespoons of butter. Bake in 375 °F oven for about 50 minutes or until hot and bubbly. We did bake one of our versions at 400 °F because we had something else in there and it was just fine! It’s the holidays and we need our food flexible.
Stir pecans with brown sugar; sprinkle over potatoes. Drizzle with three tablespoons of butter. Bake in 375 °F oven for about 50 minutes or until hot and bubbly. We did bake one of our versions at 400 °F because we had something else in there and it was just fine! It’s the holidays and we need our food flexible.
This serves six people but it would be easy to double it if you find yourself with hot and cold running relatives for the hols. Have fun and eat up!
When not fussing about Christmas,
Mary Jane and Victoria Maffini write the book collector mysteries, as Victoria Abbott. Coincidentally any or all of these books would make a great gift for someone on your list who likes cozy mysteries with a book theme. Lovable crooks included at no extra charge.
We hope you have the best of
seasons, full of fun, food, festivities and yes, vegetables.
Cute dogs, great recipe, and I would LOVE to read The Hammett Hex! EMS591@aol.com
ReplyDeleteThanks MJ/Victoria for your experimentation to come up with yummy sweet potato recipe. You know I recently enjoyed reading Hammett Hex but would to get au audio copy so please add me to the drawing. Love the hats everyone is wearing! Grace dot koshida at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness. I LOVE sweet potatoes! This looks so good! I'd do it with chopped pecans though, the heck with prettiness!!!
ReplyDeleteAnne
mysandycat (at) aol (dot) com
Thanks for the recipe. Looking forward to Hammett Hex! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI'm always looking for some thing new to make for holiday meals. I'm looking forward to reading or listening to your book Hammett Hex. dbahn(at)iw(dot)net
ReplyDeletethose potatoes look great
ReplyDeleteThanks for this delectable recipe and your wonderful giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI always put a few pecans in my sweet potatoes, but I like the sounds of your recipe! It will be an addition to Christmas dinner this year. Thanks! Great giveaway too! davisel1830@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteThanks MJ and Victoria for this fabulous recipe. It is almost like a healthy pecan maple pie. I would love to have a beautiful veggie tray for serving at parties.
ReplyDeleteThe Hammett Hex was fabulous too and I'm looking forward to whatever comes next from your creative collaboration.
the Always Anonymous Nancy R - one day I'll figure out the system!
jw.nl.reid@sympatico.ca
I think sweet potatoes are sweet just as they are---this dish looks like it could almost be a desert. YUM. Thanks for the contests.
ReplyDeletesuefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Thanks for this wonderful recipe which is perfect for the holidays. The tray is so lovely. Love your books. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteYou can never have too many sweet potatoes this time of year. Even Pep likes them, minus the nuts and sugar of course. Happy Holidays. xo
ReplyDeletesallycootie@gmail.com
The sweet potatoes look wonderful!! Thanks for the recipe and the chance to win that wonderful tray. I also would love to win the audio book of The Hammett Hex. chettysmom(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThat sweet potato dish looks amazing. I love pecan pie... so I'm going to give it try, but I think I'll add a crust of some sort. I can't eat grains, so maybe banana flour. Thank you for continuously entertaining us and for your generosity. I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season, remember to breathe. konecny7@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThat recipe looks great. I really want to win the audio book of The Hammett Hex but the veggie tray looks wonderful too! Email: morse712@aol.com
ReplyDeleteOoo-hoo-hoo, that recipe sure looks good! Yummy! Thanks for the oppotunites to win a lovely gift, too! book__wyrm@sbcglobal.net
ReplyDeleteThe tray is lovely, and the sweet potato recipe sounds amazing -- that's what I love about the holidays -- sweet potatoes, any kind, any way. Thank you for the giveaway -- wow, a beautiful tray and an audio book (thanks Santa)! Happy Holidays! bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net
ReplyDeleteLove the recipe. And so timely. You just saved my "bacon". My son wanted a sweet potato pie. I don't want to do a crust. This is an excellent substitute I am sure he will accept. So, thank you, thank you. And I could certainly use that platter. And I have a friend who would love the audio book. So either will do. Thanks for the chance at one of them. And for the recipe. Della at deepotter (at) peoplepc ((dot) com
ReplyDeleteThank you for the recipe. We buy 4 gallons of pure maple syrup from Vermont every year and I use it in cooking and to make maple sugar candy besides the normal uses of it on waffles and pancakes. Love doing the coating on nuts too and have not done them in ages, so this gave me inspiration.
ReplyDeleteLove your books but have not gotten Hammett Hex yet as my cataracts are worse and I am not able to have surgery at this time, so listening to books on MP3 and CD has been my method of reading lately. The tray is lovely as well. Thank you for putting out such great stories and for the nice giveaways to the readers and fans. Merry Christmas.
Sincerely,
Cynthia Blain
ceblain AT tmlponline DOT net
I love your books and listen to audiobooks every day ! The recipe looks yummy too ! kathambre@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteThe recipe sounds yummy. Would love the audiobook. Zeta(at)iwon(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThat recipe looks awesome, I will definitely have to give it a try. Would love to listen to "Hammett Hex" on audio. Thanks for the chance. Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeletediannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
Love all the tips included with this yummy recipe, thanks for sharing. Would love to read the Hammet Hex and the plater is beautiful! My email ramosp@comcast.net
ReplyDeleteI never thought to add pecans to sweet potatoes. Sounds great.
ReplyDeleteturtle6422(at)gmail(dot)com
Love the recipe and love the tray and would love Hammet Hex to read. Thanks for the chance and thanks for the great recipe!!
ReplyDeletetiggercat24alisha@yahoo.com
You two make the cutest elves! You make Santa proud!!!
ReplyDeleteSweet potatoes with pecans drizzled with butter toasted on top? Oh my yes!
libbydodd at comcast dot net
Pretty plate!
ReplyDeleteI think pecans are yummy! Thanks for this chance!! lindaherold999@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteTis the season for sweet potatoes!
ReplyDeleteForgot the email.... 2boys4me (at) gmail (dot) com. :)
DeleteWe've lots of ways to fix sweet potatoes in the south but I haven't tried maple syrup in them. We'll see!
ReplyDeletePat
patdupuy@yahoo.com
great timing. i was looking for a new sweet potato recipe for Christmas. thanks!
ReplyDeleteI have never had sweet potato pie. Thank you for sharing the recipe and the giveaway! crossxjo @hotmail. com
ReplyDeleteYum...and more yum...I unfortunately am not a great Cook but my sister is and she makes this without the pecans... well somebody has to be and I am working on it...thank you for the contest.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
I love your pups! Thank you for the recipe and this chance to win. areewekidding@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteHopeful. Great receipe . seascapelife at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteI love sweet potato pie! And audio books are great...you can be in the kitchen making your sweet potato pie, and never miss out on a favorite reading adventure.
ReplyDeletekat8762@aol.com
This recipe sounds delicious. I am thinking about making it for Christmas. Is that 1/8 cup of maple syrup in the recipe?
ReplyDeleteLove your books and have them all.
Merry Christmas and a terrific New Year.
Nancy Foust
1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons
DeleteGood catch, Nancy
How odd. I'm sure I posted a comment yesterday, but I don't see it.
ReplyDeleteWell, you two make adorable elves. Santa must be proud to have you!
Sweet potatoes covered with buttery pecans? Oh my, yes!
libbydodd at comcast dot net
Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite holiday dishes. I love this series and audio books. I haven't read this book yet. musiqmom(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteLooks yummy and so do all those pecans. I really enjoyed the party today and I would love to listen to the audio...thank you for the contest.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com