So good. Truly. One little bite is Autumn itself. We have roughly three months to make and eat everything fallish - to get our fill until next year. This is one of those things you simply must make, in between pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin chili...pumpkin everything! Because there's NO pumpkin in this and surely by now you are needing a break from pumpkin?! (I'm enjoying my share of pumpkin recipes and haven't had my fill yet, but leaving the pumpkin butter in the fridge for a morning or two is okay, no?)
Roasted sweet potatoes, orange juice, maple syrup and pecans...it just screams FALL! Spread over a slice of warm toast or bagel, Sweet Potato Pecan Butter, which has more of a peanut butter consistency than an apple butter consistency, will become your new morning staple...your afternoon treat...your late night snack...it's very versatile.
After the sweet potatoes are roasted, everything is put into a food processor and blended together. That's it...no processing, no sterilizing...just spoon it into a pretty dish or jar and keep in the fridge for up to a week...but it will probably be eaten before then...once your family gets a taste of the hint of orange, the crunch of pecans and the sweetness of it all, they'll be back for more!
Sweet Potato Pecan Butter - Pots and Pins
1 large sweet potato (it's really a yam, but use the orange one, not the white one), peeled and diced (you will need 2 cups)
olive oil (just enough to coat potato cubes)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons maple syrup
1 1/2 cup pecans, divided
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread sweet potato cubes onto rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle olive oil over top and coat, using your hands to turn evenly. In a small bowl combine cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar, sprinkle over sweet potato. Roast in oven for 20 minutes or until fork tender. Remove and allow to cool just a bit. Put sweet potato in food processor (or blender) and add maple syrup, 1 cup of pecans and 1/2 teaspoon salt; process until smooth, adding in a few tablespoons of orange juice at at time until the entire half cup has been incorporated. Remove from processor and stir in remaining pecan pieces; spoon into a container or jar. Keep in refrigerator for up to one week. Makes about 3 cups - and makes an excellent gift...for someone who is Sweet Potato Pecan Butter Worthy!
