The first time I tried to cook sweet potatoes, it didn’t go so well. It really wasn’t that the sweet potatoes didn’t come out right but rather that they came out half an hour late, by which time the rest of the dinner had gotten completely cold. And, as it was a special birthday dinner that I’d been planning for weeks, the fact that it was cold and late was pretty devastating. Fortunately, in the years since then I’ve made peace with the humble sweet potato.
As a good source of both iron and protein, the occasional sweet potato is a great supplement to any diet. In my opinion sweet potatoes are the superior of the baked potato varieties, having more moisture and thus needing fewer fattening condiments to be palatable. In addition to baking, common preparation methods include mashing and frying — the Tavern even offers sweet potato pancakes. (Fantastic ones, I should add – but what there isn’t?) When it comes to the fried variety, I highly recommend the ones at the Fine Arts Café in Campbell Hall — served with a bit of ranch dressing, they make an excellent afternoon snack whether you’re just hanging out or you’re stuck in studio for another three hours.
Of course, sweet potatoes are also a staple of Thanksgiving meals across the country, especially in the South. A trip to the grocery store at this time of year reveals cans of “yams” in syrup. I say “yams” because while the word is often used interchangeably with “sweet potato” in the American South, they are actually two entirely different vegetables. But I digress. At Thanksgiving sweet potatoes are usually made even sweeter: topped with marshmallows and baked, encrusted in brown sugar and nuts, and even baked into pies. All of this added sugar and butter doesn’t do much for the healthfulness of the root tuber, but since when has Thanksgiving been about healthy eating? No, the beauty of Thanksgiving is the freedom to guiltlessly engage in a ritual of gluttony that would make the Romans proud – to unbutton one’s pants and doze in a tryptophan-induced stupor.
So, to this cornucopia of sweet potato dishes, I wish to add my own sweet potato cookies. I adapted the recipe from a pumpkin cookie recipe that has long been a favorite of my younger cousins. If you want, you can achieve the original recipe by substituting half a cup of canned pumpkin filling, using all white sugar, and using only the cinnamon and allspice. But, because this is about sweet potatoes, I give you the recipe without further ado!
Sweet Potato Spice Cookies
Cream together:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
Add:
About four sweet potato pieces (slices about 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches thick) from a can of sweet potatoes in syrup (Bruce’s Yams, etc.)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Mash the sweet potatoes into the butter and sugar mixture using a fork or potato masher.
In a separate bowl, combine the following dry ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
Scant 1/4 teaspoon cloves
A dash each of ginger and nutmeg
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients half a part at a time, cover and refrigerate.
While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet. If you want, you can also whip up some icing for the finished cookies by creaming the following with an electric mixer:
8 oz. Neufchâtel cheese (room temperature)
1/2 cup margarine (room temperature)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Once the dough has chilled long enough that it is easy to handle, use a regular table spoon to make drop cookies by scooping up dough and then pushing it off the spoon onto the baking sheet with your finger.
Bake the cookies for eight to nine minutes and allow to cool for a few minutes — they are quite wonderful warm, so I don’t advocate a long cooling period unless you plan to ice them. Then enjoy with or without icing as you prefer, and perhaps a nice hot cup of apple cider — the perfect snack for a cold November day.
Sarah’s column runs biweekly Wednesday. She can be reached at s.brummett@cavalierdaily.com.
Read More
It’s okay not to be okay
By Mai Hukuoka | 6 days agoWhether talking to a friend, a loved one or a professional, it is so necessary, and human, to need more than you can provide for yourself.
Taking a break at Tangerines Kitchen
By Charley Thomas | January 6, 2025What the restaurant somewhat lacks in ambiance, it compensates for in tasty dishes and prompt service.
Virginia Policy Lab — a hub for student-led policy action
By Katherine Haden | December 9, 2024Students propose their own projects and collaborate with other members to research their issues of interest, brainstorm solutions and write policy proposals.
