Meringue Topped Sweet Potato Casserole Recipes

SWEET POTATO MERINGUE BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Place potatoes in a greased 8-in. square baking pan. Combine brown sugar, pecans, water and butter; pour over potatoes. Bake, uncovered, just until tender, 30-35 minutes., Meanwhile, for meringue, in a small bowl, beat egg whites and vanilla on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition, until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Spread over hot potatoes. Bake until golden brown, 8-10 minutes longer.

MERINGUE-TOPPED SWEET-POTATO CASSEROLE

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.)

SWEET-POTATO PUREE WITH TOASTED MERINGUE

Steps:

• Sweet potatoes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prick each potato in several places with the tines of a fork. Bake until very soft, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on size. Let stand until cool enough to handle.
• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Halve potatoes, scoop out flesh, and transfer to a food processor; puree until smooth. Add butter, syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, white pepper, and salt; pulse to combine. Transfer to prepared dish, cover, and bake until hot, about 10 minutes.
• Meringue: Meanwhile, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on low speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high; beat until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar, beating until thick, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Spoon meringue evenly over potatoes. Holding a small kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle, 3 inches from surface of meringue, move flame back and forth over meringue until it starts to brown. (Or broil 6 to 8 inches from heat source, about 1 minute.) Serve immediately.

GRANDADDY'S SWEET POTATO MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Place the sweet potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two. Transfer the sweet potatoes into a mixing bowl, and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9-inch pie dish with unbaked pie crust.
• Mash the sweet potatoes smoothly, and mix in butter, 3/4 cup of sugar, salt, milk, egg yolks, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Pour the filling into the pie crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is set and the pie crust is beginning to brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Place the egg whites into a clean mixing bowl, and beat until stiff with an electric mixer set on medium, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, until the mixture holds firm peaks and is glossy. Remove the pie from the oven and spoon meringue over the sweet potato filling, swirling the meringue into attractive peaks. Return to oven, and bake until the meringue turns golden brown, about 10 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning. Allow to cool before serving.

SPICED SWEET-POTATO CAKE WITH MERINGUE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the Cake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until soft, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Halve, scoop flesh from skins, and mash until smooth (you should have about 1 1/4 cups). Let cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.
• Lower oven temperature to 350°F. Brush a 9-by-13-inch cake pan or baking dish with butter. Line bottom and two long sides with parchment, leaving a slight overhang on sides; brush parchment with butter.
• In a bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices until aerated and thoroughly combined, 30 seconds. In a mixer, beat butter with brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and potato mash to thoroughly combine (mixture will appear grainy). Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with buttermilk and beginning and ending with flour mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread evenly to edges with an offset spatula.
• Bake until cake is set and springs back when lightly pressed in center, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Flip out onto a wire rack, remove parchment, and let cool completely.
• For the Frosting: In a small saucepan, bring granulated sugar, 1/4 cup water, and corn syrup to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Cook, undisturbed, until syrup registers 248°F on a candy thermometer. Meanwhile, in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy. Add salt and cream of tartar, increase speed to medium, and beat until soft peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and pour hot syrup down the side of the bowl in a slow, steady stream. Increase speed to high; beat until mixture cools slightly and reaches stiff, glossy peaks, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large, plain round tip (or transfer to a resealable freezer bag and snip off one corner). Starting at one corner of cake, pipe frosting lengthwise to form side-by-side rows. Wave a kitchen torch over frosting to brown in places (or place frosted cake under broiler for 1 to 2 minutes).