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–+ servings

Sweet Potato Waffles

Sweet potatoes possess a balance of moisture, starch, and sugar that makes them ideal for baked goods, especially those requiring considerable surface browning such as waffles.
I humbly suggest serving these with a drizzle of maple syrup (the real thing, Grade A, dark robust taste), toasted pecans, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Both U.S. standard and metric measurements are listed, but for consistently delicious results, go metric.
This recipe first appeared in Season 7 of Good Eats.
Stacked sweet potato waffles topped with pecans, syrup, and whipped cream.
ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 (8-inch) waffles

Software

  • 1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 large egg whites, at room temperature

Specialized Hardware

  • Digital kitchen scale
  • Steamer basket
  • Electric hand mixer
  • Ice cream disher
  • Waffle iron

Procedure

  • Place sweet potatoes in a steamer basket and place the basket in a large pot of simmering water. The water should beat least 2 inches from the bottom of the basket. Cover and steam over medium-high heat until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
  • Remove steamer basket, pour the water out of the pot, and dump the sweet potatoes into the still-hot pot. Mash with a potato masher until mostly smooth.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, butter, and orange zest with a wooden spoon.
  • Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and add to the sweet potato mixture. Stir to incorporate, but do not overmix; there should be lumps remaining in the batter.
  • In a separate bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter one third at a time. The batter will be thick. Using a disher (appropriate to your waffle iron's capacity), dose the batter onto a heated, oiled waffle iron, and cook until lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve hot, if you know what's good for you.