Vanilla bean paste is the seeds of vanilla beans that have been scraped from the pods and mixed with a little sugar and bourbon. It gives this sweet potato butter beautiful characteristic flecks without having to split and scrape a vanilla bean yourself. Substitute the amount of vanilla extract called for in any recipe with the paste.
PREP: 30 MINUTES BAKE: 1 HOUR AT 375°F COOK: 15 MINUTES COOL: 30 MINUTES MAKES: 5 HALF-PINTS
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place sweet potatoes in a 15×10×1-inch baking pan; prick each several times with a fork. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until very tender. Let cool. Cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, discarding skins. Transfer sweet potato pulp to a food processor. Cover and process until very smooth, scraping bowl occasionally. Measure 3½ cups sweet potato puree (save any remaining puree for another use).
2. In a 5-quart heavy pot combine sweet potato puree, brown sugar, honey, tangerine juice, the water, cinnamon, salt, vanilla bean paste, and nutmeg. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 15 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently (if mixture spatters, reduce heat further). Stir in tangerine peel.
3. Ladle sweet potato butter into half-pint freezer containers, leaving a ½-inch headspace. Cool for 30 minutes. Seal and label containers.
4. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
PER 2 TABLESPOONS: 81 cal., 0 g fat, 0 mg chol., 46 mg sodium, 20 g carb., 1 g fiber, 1 g pro.
Because butters are made by evaporating liquid and intensifying the flavor of the featured fruit or vegetable, they can be cooked for a significant amount of time. Be sure to simmer, not boil, the butter—and stir frequently to avoid burning.