Ingredients (~12 servings)
- 6 lbs sweet potatoes, scrubbed
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pats
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, heated
- 1 1/2 to 3 Tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Bake the Sweet Potatoes
Preheat your oven to 400F.
Place sweet potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and use a fork to pierce them all over – this prevents them from exploding.
Bake, turning once halfway through, until they’re completely soft when you press them. Time depends on size but expect ~45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours.
You’ll know they’re done when they give easily under pressure and might even start weeping a little sugar through the skin.
Make the Brown Butter
When the potatoes have about 10-15 minutes left, start your brown butter.
Melt the butter in a small, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Use a light-colored pan (stainless or white enamel) so you can actually see the color change.
As the foaming subsides, keep cooking and swirl the pan frequently. You’re waiting for the milk solids to turn golden brown and for the butter to smell nutty – not burnt.
This usually takes ~3-4 minutes after the foaming stops but watch it closely; brown butter can go from perfect to burnt in seconds.
Pull it off the heat when it’s just slightly lighter than you want – it’ll continue browning from residual heat.
Immediately pour the brown butter into a bowl, leaving any very dark bits behind in the pan.
Whip the Potatoes and Serve
Scoop the flesh from the potatoes and toss the skins. You should have ~9 cups of potato flesh.
Put the sweet potatoes in a food processor and pulse for ~10 seconds until they start looking smooth.
Add the brown butter, 1 cup of the heated cream, and sugar or maple syrup if you’re using it. I like to taste the potatoes first since some are naturally sweeter than others.
Process for ~5-10 seconds until very smooth. Add more cream gradually until you hit the consistency you want.
Season with salt and pepper to taste – don’t skip the salt; it really makes the brown butter pop.
Serve warm; these reheat well in the microwave if needed.
Brown Butter Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
Ingredients (~12 servings)
- 6 lbs sweet potatoes scrubbed
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into pats
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream heated
- 1 1/2 to 3 Tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Place sweet potatoes on foil-lined baking sheet and pierce all over with fork.
- Bake 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours, turning halfway, until completely soft when pressed.
- When potatoes have 10-15 minutes left, melt butter in small heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.
- Swirl pan frequently as butter foams, cooking 3-4 minutes until milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty.
- Pour brown butter into bowl, leaving dark bits behind.
- Scoop potato flesh from skins, discarding skins.
- Add potatoes to food processor and pulse 10 seconds until starting to smooth.
- Add brown butter, 1 cup heated cream, and brown sugar or maple syrup if desired.
- Process 5-10 seconds until very smooth, adding more cream gradually to reach desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve warm.
