Inside-Out Sweet Potatoes

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Martha Hall Foose | Screen Doors and Sweet Tea | Clarkson Potter, 2008 | Serves 8

This irreverent, inside-out approach to everyone’s favorite sweet potato casserole is irresistible to children once they find out there is a marshmallow inside. It also becomes a not-so-guilty pleasure for adults when they become privy to the same secret. It’s a surprise dish is always a hit at the holidays. (And yes, instead of being fried, they can be baked on a baking sheet lined with Silpat or parchment if you really want. But, like most things, these inside-out sweet potatoes are better fried.)—Martha Hall Foose

LC How Am I Going to Juggle Everything At the Last Minute? Note: Thanksgiving may not be the ideal time to stand at the stove and deep-fry  sweet potato-enveloped marshmallows. We realize that. And yet these crazy little bombs of gooey deliciousness are perhaps better suited to no other day of the year. It’s a conundrum, clearly. So here’s a tip from cookbook author Martha Hall Foose, who suggests you bake and mash the sweet potatoes early in the day or even the night before, then coat the marshmallows with the sweetly spicy sweet potato goo and refrigerate them hours in advance. Then after you take the turkey out of the oven and are waiting impatiently for it to rest, roll the sweet potatoes in the cornflake crumbs and get to frying. We’d even go so far as to suggest you corral a guest, hand them an apron, and ask them to do the honors. See? Look how simple it can be!

Inside-Out Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Directions

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1. To make the inside-out sweet potatoes, place the cornflake crumbs in a shallow dish or pie pan. Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl.

2. Combine the mashed sweet potatoes with the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves. baking powder, flour, orange juice and sherry.

3. Working with your hands, encase each marshmallow in some of the sweet potato mixture, forming a ball. If the sweet potato mixture seems too soft to hold its shape, stir in some of the crumbs to thicken it. (You can cover and refrigerate the sweet potato-smothered marshmallows for up to several hours.) Dip each ball in the egg and then roll it in the crumbs. Refrigerate just until the oil is hot.

4. Preheat the oven to 200° F (93°C). In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat to 375°F (190°C). Place a wire rack over newspaper or paper towels.

5. Fry the inside-out sweet potatoes one or two at a time for 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed, until lightly browned. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon, and place the drained balls on the prepared rack and transfer to the oven to keep warm while frying the remaining batches. Serve warm.

Baked and Mashed Sweet Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190° C). Pierce each sweet potato several times and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Bake for 40 minutes, or until tender and easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool in their jackets. When cool enough to handle, halve the potatoes, scoop out their flesh, and mash with a fork or potato masher until smooth.