Baked Sweet Potato Cups Made with Batata

En Español
These baked sweet potato cups are just to cute to eat! They are a perfect holiday side dish and go well with baked chicken, turkey or ham.  What I liked most about it is that it is served in orange cups. I have had this recipe for quite some time, but I have yet to try it with sweet potato because they are not grown here, however, we do have boniatos, what we call batatas.  Batatas are great tasting too, but not as moist as sweet potatoes. I was not surprise that this recipe still came out DELICIOUS even when I substituted the main ingredient. So here once again I made an American dish with a Dominican twist. I hope you enjoy it!

The oranges in Dominican Republic are fully ripe and very sweet even when their color is still green in the outside. I tried to get the fruit the most orange in color as I could possible get from our orange trees, YES... the oranges and batatas are from our farm, a true blessing, but lots of hard work. The funniest part is that I had to go out twice to get oranges because in the sunlight they looked yellow-orange, but when I got inside my home they were greenish. I did have a nice time looking for "orange" oranges, some may still not be as orange as the ones in US, but they are close and tasted great too!

Baked Sweet Potato Cups

(Adapted from Southern Living  magazine)

 
Ingredients:
3 pound medium-size sweet potatoes
6 large navel oranges
½ cup butter or margarine, melted
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup whipping cream
2 large eggs
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground  ground cloves

Topping:
½ cup finely chopped pecans
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:
1. Place sweet potatoes in an aluminum lined baking sheet and bake at 400ºF (200ºC) for 45 – 60 minutes or until tender. Let cool, cut in half and scoop out pulp reserve and discard skins.

2. Cut oranges in half, remove pulp and reserve for another use. Rinse orange rind cups twice in cold water and sprinkle with a little white granulated sugar, reserve.

3. With an electric mixer beat sweet potato pulp at medium speed for a minute; add melted butter, the juice of one orange, orange rind, vanilla, cream and eggs, beat for 2 minutes. Add the next 7 ingredients. Beat at medium speed until smooth, remove any tough fibers if necessary.

4. Spoon sweet potato mixture evenly into orange cups and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 ºF (175ºC) for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, Combine five topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly on top of each cup bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.



Note:
a) The sweet potato mixture rises in when baked, so just fill cups up to the top line.

b) Scooped orange cups and sweet potato mixture can be made one day in advance. Store them wrapped in plastic separately in the refrigerator until ready to assemble and bake.

c) YESSSS ... you can bake in a baking dish. You may also add mini marshmallows to the pecan topping and bake until marshmallows begin to melt a little and become golden brown.

Yield: 12 servings

I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. - 1 Corinthians 6:12-19

Flavors of the Dominican Republic: Traditional Holiday Favorites Recipes

Welcome to my kitchen in this special season! Here I share my favorite Dominican recipes for Christmas, full of tradition and the warm flavor of our land. From classics passed down from generation to generation to innovative delights that modernize our celebrations.

Drink

1. Chocolate Eggnog (Ponche de Chocolate)
2. Coquito a favorite from Puerto Rico 
3. Ginger Tea 

Side Dishes

1. Caramelized Sweet Plantains (Plátanos al Caldero) 
2. Chicken Filling for Sandwich
3. Kipes
4. Pasteles en Hoja (banana leaf wraps) 

Salads

1. Pink Potato Salad
2. Potato Salad

Rice

1. Arroz con Gandules, Rice with Pigeon Peas 
2. Arroz Frío, Cold Rice

Meat

1. Brine Recipe 
2. Mini Meatballs
3. Chivo Guisado, Stewed Goat 
4. Turkey or Pernil (Pork Shoulder)

Stews / Soup

1. Sancocho

Desserts

1. Apple Pie
2. Arroz con Leche, Rice Pudding 
3. Flan
4. Flan de Chocolate 
5. Suspiritos

 

Cookies

1. Cherry thimbles
2. Double sweetheart sugar cookies/Linzer
3. Gingerbread cookies 
4. Mexican Wedding Cookies
5. Snowman cookies with disco dust 
6. Thumbprint cookies

Cupcakes

1. Gingerbread Cupcakes 
2. Pumpkin Cake or Cupcakes  

Cakes

1. Coffee cake  
2. Easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake  
3. Mandarin Cake
4. Pear Spice Bundt Cake 
5. Pistachio cake 
6. Plum Upside-Down Cake

Extras

1. Gingerbread house how to 
2. Pinecone angels
3. Templates for gingerbread house

My E-book of Delicious Cake Recipes. 

For more information or to purchase, visit: Holiday Cakes 

 

Timeless Thumbprint Cookies Recipe: A Delightful Tradition

Discover the Timeless Charm of Thumbprint Cookies: A Delightful Recipe

Indulge in the delightful tradition of baking Thumbprint Cookies, a beloved treat cherished by many for generations. With their irresistibly delicious jam-filled centers, these cookies are also affectionately known as Jam-Filled Butter Cookies or Polish Tea Cookies. Their exquisite taste and charming appearance make them a perfect sweet gift for your loved ones or guests.

If you've been searching for a delightful homemade gift, look no further. These cookies offer a delightful combination of visual appeal and exceptional taste, without the need for elaborate icing decorations.

Receta de Thumbprint Cookies en español.

After experimenting with various recipes, I've perfected my own version to ensure these cookies maintain their delightful shape and texture. Say goodbye to flat cookies and embrace the joy of baking these delightful treats."

Jam Filled Butter Cookies, Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredientes:
2½ cups of all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon extract or citrus zest (optional)
½ cup preserves

For nut coating (optional) 
½ cup toasted and finely chopped nuts
1 egg white for decoration

Chocolate Drizzle
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate melted

Preparation: 

1. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Mix flour and salt and set aside. In a bowl, cream together butter, and sugar for about two minutes until creamy then add egg and extract. Mix until well blended.

2. Mix in flour a little at a time until a soft dough formed. The dough will be soft, refrigerate for 1 hour or until the dough is hard enough to form. Roll dough into 1-inch balls.

3. Place balls 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet. Use your thumb or the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon to make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Fill the hole with about ½ teaspoon of preserves (Jam).

4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven to 350°F (175°C) or until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. Melt chocolate and with the help of a fork or tip #2 drizzle over cookies in zigzag form.

To make rolled-in nuts cookies: 

a) Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8-10 minutes until nuts are light brown in color. Let cool completely then chop finely. Toasting the nut is optional. 

b) Follow steps #1-2 above, BUT before placing in the tray, whisk an egg white until frothy and dip balls of dough in it first, then roll in a plate of chopped nuts. Place balls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. 

c) Continue with step #3 and 4. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until the cookies have been set and the nuts have lightly browned.

Yield: 36 - 1-inch cookies.

 

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also love:

Cherry Thimble Cookies 

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! - 2 Peter 3:18