Vanilla- and Spice-Kissed Sweet Potato Puree

It's Thanksgiving time here in the U.S., and I thought I'd share with you one of my latest yummy seasonal creations.  I'm sure I'm not the first person to create their own version of sweet potato puree, but here is mine.

Growing up in my family, we always had some version of sweet potatoes as a part of our Thanksgiving celebration.  Most often, it was my mom's sweet potato casserole, which I have always loved, and with all of the cinnamon and spicy goodness that she added, it is reminiscent of pumpkin pie- yum!  While I absolutely love my mom's sweet potato casserole, its preparation requires more work than I care to invest sometimes when I just want an easy sweet potato dish that I can get on the dinner table in fairly short order.

I must admit that when I'm creating new concoctions in my kitchen, the process typically ends up being more of an art than a science.  Many times, I will add my selected ingredients to texture and taste preferences.  Therefore, I apologize to those of you who feel the need to have exact measurements to work with.   For this recipe, I have tried to estimate the quantities of ingredients that I have used before.  My advice is to start with smaller quantities of the salt, butter, and the spices and add more according to your own taste and texture preferences.  This recipe is fairly simple, so please feel free to make it your own.  Be my guest and be creative.

I've served this dish three times for guests, including my parents and my mother-in-law & father-in-law, and it was a big hit every time.

Vanilla- and Spice-Kissed Sweet Potato Puree

Ingredients

• 3-5 lbs fresh sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 3 tablespoons real butter (grass-fed is great, if you can get it)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

Directions

1.  Place sweet potatoes into a large pot and fill with enough water to completely cover the potatoes.

2.  Cook the potatoes in lightly boiling water until tender.

3.  Remove the cooked potatoes from the cooking pot and place into a large mixing bowl.  Reserve the cooking water for later use.

4.  Using a mixer, beat the potatoes until smooth.

5.  Add the butter and beat until well-mixed.  Season to taste with vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and sea salt and stir well.

6.  Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid to the mixture at a time and beat well until the potatoes are light and fluffy.  Alternatively, you could use milk or a milk substitute, such as coconut milk in place of the cooking liquid. 

7.  Serve and enjoy your sweet potato goodness!