Cinnamon-Crunch Sweet Potato Muffins
Sweet potatoes are available year-round but are most abundant in markets in autumn and winter. Some of these edible roots—members of the morning glory family—have tan skin and light yellow flesh; others have darker red-orange skin and flesh. The latter type is often called a yam in the United States, although it is not a true yam. Red-orange sweet potatoes are slightly moister and sweeter than the tan variety, which has the same texture as a russet potato when cooked and mashed.
Ingredients:
For the topping:
- 3 Tbs. sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
For the muffins:
- 2 sweet potatoes or yams (orange-fleshed sweet potatoes), about 14 oz. total, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup canola oil or walnut oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp. orange oil, or grated zest of 1 orange
- 3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped’
- Unsalted butter for serving
Directions:
To make the topping, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
To make the muffins, bring a saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain well. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until slightly fluffy. Scrape the sweet potatoes into a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Preheat an oven to 400°F. Grease 12 standard muffin cups with butter or butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray.
In a bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, oil, milk and orange oil and whisk vigorously for 1 minute. Add the mashed sweet potatoes and beat until completely blended. Add the flour mixture and stir until just evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the pecans until just evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes. Do not overmix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them three-fourths full. Sprinkle with the topping, dividing evenly. Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins. Serve them warm, with butter. Makes 12 muffins.
Note: Canned sweet potatoes or yams may be substituted for fresh. Drain them well before mashing.
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