Stovetop Sweet Potatoes with Maple and Crème Fraîche

Ingredients

• 2 cinnamon sticks, broken
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 (15-oz.) cans candied yams or sweet potatoes in syrup, drained
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup crème fraîche*
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon maple extract or vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Preparation

1. Grind cinnamon sticks to a fine powder in a coffee grinder; set aside.
2. Cook sugar and 3 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until melted and golden. Add pecans, and cook 2 minutes until pecans are toasted and glazed, stirring frequently.
3. Stir in cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread pecans on wax paper, and set aside to cool.
4. Combine sweet potatoes, 1/4 cup butter, ginger, 1 teaspoon salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Beat at low speed with a hand mixer 1 minute; beat at high speed 2 minutes.
5. Gently fold crème fraîche, maple syrup, extract, and balsamic vinegar into sweet potatoes. Transfer to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon potatoes into a serving dish, and sprinkle with glazed pecans.
6. *Find crème fraîche with other specialty cheeses in the deli section of many upscale markets.