Spiced Sweet Potato And Bacon Skewers Food

BACON WRAPPED SWEET POTATO BITES RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Melt the butter in a large, microwave safe bowl. Mix in the salt, cayenne, and cinnamon.
• Add the sweet potato cubes and toss until evenly coated.
• Wrap 1 piece of bacon around each potato cube and fasten with a toothpick. Place all the wrapped potatoes onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle with the brown sugar.*Alternative Tip: Place the brown sugar in a bowl and dip bacon strips on one or both sides in the brown sugar. Then, wrap the coated bacon around the sweet potato cubes.
• Bake for 38-40 minutes or until the bacon is crips and the potatoes are tender.
• If desired, dip the cubes in warm maple syrup.

ROASTED SWEET-POTATO SPEARS WITH BACON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Peel sweet potatoes, then cut each lengthwise into 6 spears. Cut spears in half crosswise if desired, then arrange in 1 layer in a large (17- by 12-inch) shallow baking pan.
• Cook bacon in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, then pour bacon fat through a fine-mesh sieve onto potato spears and toss with 2 spatulas to coat. Sprinkle spears with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and roast (uncovered), turning every 15 to 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender and edges are browned, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer to a serving dish.
• Return bacon to cleaned skillet, then add oil and heat over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Stir in white part of scallions and remove from heat. Stir in vinegar, water, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and pour over potato spears. Sprinkle potatoes with scallion greens and serve warm.

SWEET AND SPICY BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Stir together brown sugar, cayenne, and black pepper in a small bowl.
• Arrange bacon slices in l layer on a large broiler pan and bake in middle of oven (or upper third of oven if baking with eggs) 20 minutes. Turn slices over and sprinkle evenly with spiced sugar. Continue baking until bacon is crisp and brown, 15 to 20 minutes more, then transfer to paper towels to drain.

SPICED SWEET-POTATO CAKE WITH BROWN SUGAR ICING

Steps:

• For cake:
• Pierce sweet potatoes with fork. Microwave on high until very tender, about 8 minutes per side. Cool, peel and mash sweet potatoes.
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Spray 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick spray, then generously butter pan. Sift flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Measure enough mashed sweet potatoes to equal 2 cups. Transfer to large bowl. Add sugar and oil to sweet potatoes; using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add eggs 2 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture; beat just until blended. Beat in vanilla. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes. Using small knife, cut around sides of pan and center tube to loosen cake. Turn out onto rack; cool completely.
• For icing:
• Sift powdered sugar into medium bowl. Stir brown sugar, whipping cream and butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Boil 3 minutes, occasionally stirring and swirling pan. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour brown sugar mixture over powdered sugar. Whisk icing until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Cool icing until lukewarm and icing falls in heavy ribbon from spoon, whisking often, about 15 minutes. Spoon icing thickly over top of cake, allowing icing to drip down sides of cake. Let stand until icing is firm, at least 1 hour. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.)