Recipes by Arlene

• 4 lbs. sweet potatoes or yams
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup bourbon
• ⅓ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. apple pie spice
• ⅓ cup chopped pecans

Scrub potatoes. Cook, covered, in boiling salted water in a large saucepan, about 35 minutes or just until tender. Drain, cool slightly and peel.

Place cooked potatoes in a large bowl and mash. Add butter, bourbon, orange juice, brown sugar, salt and apple pie spice. Beat until fluffy-smooth. Spoon into a buttered 6-cup baking dish; sprinkle nuts around the edge. Bake in moderate oven (350°) 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 8 servings.

• 3 lbs. sweet potatoes
• ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed and divided
• 3 tbsp. butter
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup milk

Grease a 1½-quart casserole. Cook sweet potatoes in boiling salted water until done; peel and mash. Stir in all the remaining ingredients except 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar. Turn mixture into prepared casserole and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes.

• 2 lbs. sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled
• 1 29-oz. can pear halves, drained (save juice)
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 4-oz. can shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350°. With a sharp knife, slice sweet potatoes into ½-inch thick slices. In a large bowl, gently toss sweet potatoes with the next 5 ingredients and ¼ cup reserved pear juice until well mixed. Spoon mixture into a greased 8×12 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar and coconut. Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serves 8.

• 1 lb. sweet potatoes
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. butter or margarine
• ½ cup mandarin oranges
• 1 cup ham, diced or cubed
• 1 tbsp. orange juice
• ½ cup pecan nuts

Cook whole sweet potatoes until done. Peel and cut in serving-size pieces. Melt butter, add brown sugar and juice. Pour over potatoes. Add hand and orange segments. Add nuts. Keep warm in a 300° oven for about 15 minutes before serving. Makes 3 or 4 servings.

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1½ tbsp. cornstarch
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ⅛ tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup apricot nectar
• ½ cup hot water
• 3 lbs. sweet potatoes, cooked and sliced
• 2 tbsp. butter

Mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon. Add the apricot nectar and the hot water; stir well. Boil until thick and add the butter. Pour over the sweet potatoes and bake until bubbly.

• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 2¼ cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1½ cups sweet potato puree or 1 medium-large sweet potato
• 2 eggs
• 2½ cups flour
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• ¾ tsp. ground ginger
• 1½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1½ dashes ground cloves
• ½ cup water

Cut 1 medium-large sweet potato into 2-inch-long pieces, place in a small saucepan and cover with water. Can substitute canned sweet potatoes. Cook about 25 minutes before pureeing in a food processor. Preheat oven to 375°. Butter and flour pan or line with muffin papers. With a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; stir in sweet potato puree and egg. Sift together flour, salt, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. Stir half of the dry ingredients into creamed mixture; stir in water, then remaining dry ingredients. Bake until dry on top and a skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Can make either bread loaves or 12 muffins. Muffins take around 15 minutes to bake; bread will take 35 minutes, depending on the oven and pan size.