Meringue Topped Sweet Potato Casserole Food

SWEET-POTATO PUREE WITH TOASTED MERINGUE

Steps:

• Sweet potatoes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prick each potato in several places with the tines of a fork. Bake until very soft, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on size. Let stand until cool enough to handle.
• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Halve potatoes, scoop out flesh, and transfer to a food processor; puree until smooth. Add butter, syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, white pepper, and salt; pulse to combine. Transfer to prepared dish, cover, and bake until hot, about 10 minutes.
• Meringue: Meanwhile, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on low speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high; beat until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar, beating until thick, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Spoon meringue evenly over potatoes. Holding a small kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle, 3 inches from surface of meringue, move flame back and forth over meringue until it starts to brown. (Or broil 6 to 8 inches from heat source, about 1 minute.) Serve immediately.

SWEET POTATO MERINGUE BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Place potatoes in a greased 8-in. square baking pan. Combine brown sugar, pecans, water and butter; pour over potatoes. Bake, uncovered, just until tender, 30-35 minutes., Meanwhile, for meringue, in a small bowl, beat egg whites and vanilla on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition, until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Spread over hot potatoes. Bake until golden brown, 8-10 minutes longer.

MERINGUE AND STREUSEL-TOPPED SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• For sweet potatos: Wash and pierce sweet potatoes and microwave until soft.
• When cool, split skin and peel off.
• Place in mixing bowl with remaining 6 ingredients (through eggs) and beat at high speed for 2 minutes or until smooth.
• Spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
• For Streusel: Combine streusel ingredients and sprinkle evenly over sweet potatoes.
• Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven but don't turn oven off yet.
• For Meringue: In clean mixing bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form.
• Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
• This takes about 4 minutes.
• Spoon meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe meringue into a lattice design over streusel (or just smooth over top like a pie).
• Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.