Sweet Potato Cupcakes Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting Candied Pecans Recipes

Steps:

• To make the crust: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a bowl. Using a tablespoon, press this mixture into a 10-inch springform pan, and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake crust for 10 minutes and allow to cool. Butter or spray a pan with vegetable spray.
• To make the cheesecake batter: Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, place cream cheese. Use paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Continue to mix and add sugar and salt. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add sour cream, flour, and spices. Lower speed and add sweet potato puree. Pour the batter into crust lined pan. Place a baking pan of hot water under cheesecake pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees F, then lower temperature to 250 degrees F and bake an additional 1 1/2 hours or until cake center is firm.
• For candied pecans: Melt the sugar and cook until temperature reaches 310 degrees F. Stir in nuts until completely coated. Pour onto buttered baking pan. Try to keep the nuts in individual pieces or pulse in food processor for praline effect.
• Let the cake cool completely in pan on rack for 30 minutes, then wrap in plastic, still in pan, and refrigerate until completely chilled. Loosen pan sides and remove cheesecake. Carefully slice cake with knife dipped in hot water, then wiped. Garnish with candied pecans.

Steps:

• Place pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan.
• Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring once after 4 minutes.
• Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
• Whisk together mashed sweet potatoes, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sweet potato mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Fold in toasted pecans. Place foil baking cups in muffin pans, and coat with vegetable cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full.
• Bake at 350° for 28 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove immediately from pans, and cool 50 minutes to 1 hour or until completely cool. Spread cupcakes evenly with Cream Cheese Frosting. Garnish, if desired.
• Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe ~.
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Makes 3 cups.

Steps:

• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan, and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the sweet potato cubes, cover, and steam until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes depending on thickness. Remove the sweet potato from the steamer and allow to cool. Transfer the cooled sweet potato to a blender. Pour in the orange juice. Cover blender, and puree until smooth. If mixture is too thick, add more orange juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sweet potato is blended.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 48 muffin cups with paper muffin liners.
• Beat 1 cup butter, light brown sugar, and white sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract with the last egg, then stir in the sweet potato puree and orange zest.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Mix the flour mixture into the sweet potato mixture, 1 cup at a time, mixing until just blended. Batter will be thick. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
• To make frosting: Sift the confectioners' sugar into a large bowl; set aside. Heat the brown sugar, heavy cream, and 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil until the brown sugar mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whisk the brown sugar mixture into the confectioners' sugar until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Allow the sugar mixture to cool and thicken before icing the cooled cupcakes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Prick potatoes several times with a fork and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake potatoes in the preheated oven until you can easily pierce them halfway through with a sharp knife, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and allow to cool until easily handled, at least 20 minutes. Leave the oven on.
• Meanwhile, mix brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, pecans, and pumpkin pie spice for topping in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
• Peel the cooled sweet potatoes and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch thick slices.
• Lightly grease a 9x13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons butter. Spread potato slices in a single layer in the dish and spoon a bit of topping over each slice. Add remaining potato slices in a second layer and sprinkle with remaining topping.
• Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until bubbly and browned, about 20 minutes. Use a serving spoon to dish this out, making sure to get to some of the sauce from the bottom for each serving.

Steps:

• Cream the butter and slowly add sugar, eggs and sweet potatoes. Sift the flour, baking powder, soda and spices together in a separate bowl.
• Mix the maple extract into the milk and Add dry ingredients alternately with the milk into the sweet potato mixture.
• Spoon the batter into lined cupcake cups.
• Bake in 350° oven for 20-30 minutes.