Pass the Sweet Potatoes

This Thanksgiving was my first attempt at making a large meal and, on the whole, it turned out well. One of the most wonderful parts about dinner was getting to use my collection of vintage dishes and glasses that live here at my apartment. Because I spend most of my time in North Carolina but family often uses my apartment as a place to stay while visiting Western New York, I've kept the apartment furnished. It's a lovely way to store my wonderful old things and it's such a bright spot in my visit home to return to my apartment (more on that later). 

Anyhow, while making the meal was a challenge, setting the table was a joy. 

The table: 

vintage fishing creel for flowers, Mom's glass pitcher, great-grandma Ellen's butter keeper and my dishes.

The glasses appeared magically in the apartment, I suspect from my great aunt, I love them! 

Note the cat clock and vintage sheet music on the wall.

Flower creel, such a great idea! Thanks, Mom!

From left to right: the butter keeper with wheat design, the mystery glasses, the pattern on my dishes, another shot of the creel.

The highlight of the meal was of course the fresh turkey, which my beau cooked, but my sweet potatoes were also a hit. My boyfriend had requested sweet potatoes and marshmallows, which is apparently tasty. Refusing to put marshmallows in a meal, I searched for an equally tasty dish. With a massive amount of brown sugar, spices and vanilla, these sweet potatoes are a treat sweet enough to be a dessert. 

                                

Gourmet Sweet Potato Classic

What you'll need:

5 sweet potatoes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

2. Bake sweet potatoes 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they begin to soften. 

Cool slightly, peel, and mash.

3. In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, and heavy cream. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

4. In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers to the consistency of course meal. 

Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.

5. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until topping is crisp and lightly browned.

6. Serve and enjoy!