Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Grand Marnier Pecan Crumble

I’ve never loved candied yams with their cloyingly sweet topper of marshmallow goo.  Given all of the glory on the Thanksgiving table, I’ve always felt that they sullied the experience.  My husband would adamantly disagree, of course, given that the marshmallow travesty happens to be his favorite item at Thanksgiving.  What to do other than craft him a recipe that might convince him that the candied yam business isn’t the be all end all of sweet potato majesty.

This recipe certainly won’t keep him from candied yams, but he adores it as much as the plebeian alternative, which makes me happy.  Grand Marnier brings the sweetness of orange, and butter toasted pecans turn into a gooey crumble that turns this from a social to an out-and-out party.  If ever you needed an excuse to grab a potato ricer, this recipe is the perfect reason to do so.  The little contraption extrudes the potatoes through tiny holes, saving you the work of mashing in creating light and airy potato puree.  It’s amazing, and I scored mine from IKEA for a modest 5 bucks.  People will swoon over your whipped potatoes that didn’t see a second of actual whipping.  Doesn’t it feel great when you’re crowned the winner?  Because you totally are.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Grand Marnier Pecan Crumble

4 sweet potatoes or garnet yams

3/4 c. of brown sugar
1/4 c. of Grand Marnier
1 stick of butter
1/2 c. of chopped pecans

3 tbs. of butter
1/2 c. of cream
1 tbs. of Grand Marnier

Preheat the oven to 400°.  Place the sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet and pierce the skin with a fork several times.  Bake until the sweet potatoes are soft to the touch, about 35-45 minutes.

Let the potatoes cool enough to handle outside of the oven while you make the crumble.  Add the butter, brown sugar, Grand Marnier and pecans to a sauce pot and cook until thickened and looks like a caramel, about 5 minutes.

Cut the potatoes in half, scoop out the flesh, and run them through a potato ricer and directly into a casserole dish.  Stir in the butter, cream and Grand Marnier.  Season with a small pinch of salt and top with the crumble.  Serve immediately.