BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES

Oh my goodness, these baked sweet potato fries are tasty AND low calorie!! Even my picky-picky husband gave them a thumbs up!!!

 

 

 



Keep in mind that you are not going to get a CRISPY fry (because they are baked) but they ARE addictingly tasty with "a little sweet+little salty" flavor that hits all the right comfort notes. Crisp or not, I could easily eat a big bowl of these and not feel guilty at all.

2 medium sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon regular chili powder (see note)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (see note)
1/2  teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar

OK, a word about yams/sweet potatoes. Don't ask me which is which. I always buy the one with the deep orange flesh, so I'm calling them sweet potatoes in this post.

PRE-HEAT YOUR OVEN to 400°F.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into French fries. Soak in water for one hour (important), then drain and pat them dry.

Put the potatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with one tablespoon vegetable oil, toss around, making sure the oil coats everything.

Mix the cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt and brown sugar together until very well mixed.Sprinkle this mixture over the oiled potatoes and toss well. 

Spread the potatoes out onto a lightly sprayed cookie sheet (I don't spray my cookie sheet. Instead I line it with Reynolds non-stick foil (it works perfectly in this recipe) just make sure you spread the fries out so they don't touch each other (use two cookie sheets if necessary).



Bake in PRE-HEATED 400°F oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the potatoes over and bake another 15 minutes. Depending on how hot your oven runs, you might have to add a couple extra minutes to get those crusty edges. 

They aren't the prettiest fries ever, but they are delicious 

Click on this Photo

to get a closer look 

 

 

Note: If you like a little more spice, you can use chipotle chili powder in place of the regular chili powder + smoked paprika.

ENJOY !!!

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT

If you are looking for a unique stocking stuffer gift, here is a super easy one....homemade vanilla.

The best vanilla extracts are NOT made with the same kind of vanilla beans that you bake with. It is made with Madagascar Grade B extract vanilla beans which are only about $15 for 25 vanilla beans on Amazon.

The 6" beans aren't very pretty to look at (they are not plump and supple like the expensive ones) AND you CAN NOT bake with them), but they make GREAT extract. When you order them, they will arrive looking like this:

All it takes, to make vanilla, is:

1 quart of vodka  (see tip below)
4 ounces of Madagascar Grade B extract vanilla beans

This makes a LOT of vanilla!! I like to put it in pretty little bottles and tuck them into gift baskets, so a quart of extract is a good thing.

TIPS: 

Don't waste your money on expensive vodka, thinking that it will make better vanilla...it does not.  Good news!! The cheapest vodka works just as well as expensive vodka for this project!!

For the initial "brewing", you will need a jar that is a bit bigger than a quart since the vodka AND vanilla beans have to fit into it.

Cut the vanilla beans into 1/2" pieces and put them into a quart of vodka..........that's it!!  Now all you have to do is shake the bottle a little (every few days) and after a month (at room temperature), it will be vanilla extract!! What could be easier?

Before using the extract (or giving it away), strain the spent vanilla bean pieces out of the extract. Personally, I enjoy seeing the tiny vanilla seeds in my baked goods, but if you don't, just run the final vanilla through a coffee filter.

Decorative bottles like this are available online for about $2.50 each, they turn vanilla into a pretty gift.

This extract will be good "forever", or until the very last drop. No need to refrigerate it.

The vanilla in this photo is only 2 weeks into the extract process (see how rich it looks already?)

For those of you who are concerned that homemade vanilla

is not as "strong" as commercial vanilla...never fear!!

This homemade vanilla is very potent (in a good way) and

you will LOVE baking with it!!

ENJOY!!!

SWEET POTATO PECAN PIE CUTIES

These (super-easy) bite-size cuties are packed with a delicious cinnamon, sweet potato and pecan filling AND they are only 45 calories each, it doesn't get much better than that!!!

SWEET POTATO FILLING

1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato
3 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon cream (or evaporated milk)

1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

PECAN TOPPING 
1/3 cup chopped TOASTED pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon light corn syrup 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg white

2 (2.1 ounce) packages mini-phyllo shells

Poke sweet potato a few times with a fork and place it on a pie plate with 2 tablespoons of water; cover loosely with waxed paper and microwave on high till tender (my microwave takes 7 minutes). 

To one cup of (peeled) mashed sweet potato, add sugar + cream + vanilla + cinnamon + salt and mix it with an electric mixer until smooth. Set aside.

In a different small bowl, combine TOASTED pecans + brown sugar + syrup + vanilla + egg white. Stir well and set aside.

Place phyllo shells on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack. Put 1 (slightly heaping) teaspoon of the sweet potato filling into the bottom of each shell, gently pushing down a little. 

Gently spoon 1/2 teaspoon of the toasted pecan mixture over the sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. 

Cool completely on the wire rack.

ENJOY!!!

NOTE: Our Walmart sells these little pre-made phyllo shells in the ATHENS brand.