Bourbon Pecan Sweet Potato Recipes

SWEET POTATO CAKE WITH MAPLE-BOURBON PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Combine softened butter and brown sugar in a medium-sized bowl; stir until well combined. Add maple syrup, bourbon, and salt. Stir in pecans and mix until well coated. Set topping aside.
• Butter a 10-inch tube pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper; butter the parchment paper and lightly dust with flour. Evenly spread topping into the bottom of the tube pan and set aside.
• Whisk flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
• Mix softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until well combined, 3 to 4 minutes; the mixture will be a bit grainy in appearance. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on medium speed after each addition. Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add sweet potatoes and bourbon and mix on medium speed until well combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
• Combine buttermilk and sour cream in a separate bowl.
• Add 1/2 the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until well blended. Add 1/2 the buttermilk mixture and beat on low until blended, scraping the bowl as needed. Add remaining flour to the mixing bowl and continue mixing. Add remaining buttermilk mixture and continue beating on low speed until batter is thick and smooth.
• Pour batter into the prepared tube pan and place pan on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 65 to 75 minutes. Remove cake from the oven and leave in the pan.
• Prepare glaze by combining maple syrup, melted butter, and bourbon in a bowl. Use a wooden skewer to poke holes in the warm cake in the pan. Spoon 1/2 the glaze over the bottom of the cake.
• Allow cake to cool on a wire rack, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Invert cake onto a serving plate, remove parchment paper, and drizzle remaining glaze over the top of the cake. Serve with whipped cream.

BOURBON SWEET-POTATO PURéE WITH BUTTERED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Prick sweet potatoes with a fork and in a baking pan bake in middle of oven until tender, about 1 hour.
• When just cool enough to handle, peel potatoes and transfer half to a food processor. Add bourbon and 6 tablespoons butter and purée 30 seconds. Transfer purée to a large bowl. Purée remaining potatoes in food processor until completely smooth and transfer to bowl. Stir purée until combined well and season with salt and pepper. Transfer purée to a 2-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish. Purée may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring purée to room temperature before proceeding.
• Reduce temperature to 325° F.
• In a shallow baking pan spread pecans in one layer and bake in middle of oven until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Toss hot pecans with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and coarse salt. Pecans may be made 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Arrange pecans on top of purée and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake purée in upper third of oven until heated through and pecans are slightly browned, about 30 minutes.

BOURBON PECAN SMASHED SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
• Add sweet potatoes and cook 12 to 15 minutes until very tender.
• Drain sweet potatoes in a colander. Return pan to medium heat.
• Add butter to the pan. When butter melts, add nuts and toast for 2 minutes.
• Add sugar and let it bubble.
• Add bourbon and cook out alcohol, about 1 minute.
• Add orange juice and the cooked sweet potatoes. Smash with a masher and season the sweet potatoes with nutmeg, salt and pepper.