Sweet Potato Spoon Bread with Caramel Pecan Topping

Sweet Potato Spoon Bread with Caramel Pecan Topping

If you don’t know what it is, spoon bread is a southern-style corn muffin soufflé. But that description doesn’t do it justice. It’s a warm fluffy mouthful of buttery cornbread happiness, and I guess you could say it’s one of my favorite things. My grandmother made it frequently as I was growing up for summer barbecues. When she passed away and I got the recipe, I was thrilled. I, however, make it year round because I love it too much to save it just for summer. Since I make the food around this here place, I get to make whenever I want. (Yes. I did stick my tongue out like a six-year-old.)

When I saw this recipe for Sweet Potato Spoon Bread in the November issue of Country Living Magazine, I knew I had to try it. It’s not your typical “Summer” spoon bread. It’s spoon bread for the Fall. Can I get an amen?

Plus, I love sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes are good for you. Of course, any health benefits are offset by the whole milk, brown sugar and the caramel pecan topping. But you can at least somewhat convince yourself that the bite of heaven in your mouth is actually doing your body some good…sort of. At least the orange juice has Vitamin C?

I have yet to try it in a casserole versus individual ramekins but if it works, it would be a great addition to your Thanksgiving table. Yep. I said it. The “T” word. It’s only 5 weeks away y’all!

Sweet Potato Spoon Bread with Caramel Pecan Topping
Adapted from Country Living Magazine
Serves 6

Ingredients
2 cups roasted sweet potatoes (about 4 medium potatoes)
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the ramekins
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup toasted pecan halves (about 4 ounces)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 ºF.

Place the first 9 ingredients (sweet potatoes through salt) in a food processor until smooth. Butter six 4-ounce ramekins. Divide the sweet potato mixture among ramekins, and place them on a baking sheet.

Bake the spoon bread until it is golden and puffs up slightly (about 30 minutes). Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

While the ramekins are in the cooking, put 1/4 cup of water and the granulated sugar in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves (about 5 minutes). Do not stir.

Increase the heat to medium-high and boil the mixture, again without stirring, until the syrup becomes a deep amber color (about 5 to 6 minutes). Remove the syrup from the heat and whisk in the cream. Stir in the butter and sea salt. Add pecans and stir to coat. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

To serve, top each spoon bread with 1/6 cup of the salted caramel pecans.

 

 

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