Extension Report

Baldwin County Extension Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, AL  36507

Telephone (251) 937-7176 or

928-0860/943-5061 ext. 2222

FAX (251) 937-7285

Susan Wingard

County Extension Coordinator

November 8, 2011

If you have traveled around our county recently, you have probably seen sweet potatoes for sale.  Often we think of sweet potatoes when we think of Thanksgiving because of special foods that are prepared for the holidays.  However, you do not have to wait until the holidays to enjoy sweet potatoes.  Select firm, smooth sweet potatoes without bruises, decay or sprouts.  Store your sweet potatoes in a dry, cool place until ready to use.  Sweet potatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator unless they have been cooked.  Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of Vitamin A and they also contain Vitamin C, and potassium.  They are low in calories and sodium. 

Each year, the Baldwin County Sweet Potato Association and Baldwin County Farmers Federation sponsor a sweet potato recipe contest at the Baldwin County Fair.  The students ‘recipes must contain one cup of sweet potatoes.  The judges for this year’s contest were David Holloway, Food Editor, Press-Register; Mike Wallace, Executive Chef, Grand Hotel Marriott Resort; and Amelia McGrew, Regional Extension Agent.

It is always interesting to see the Family and Consumer Science Students’ recipe selections.  The junior division (grades 6-8) award winners were:  1st place -Clark Peterson, Fairhope Middle; 2nd place-Ashlyn Roland, Bay Minette Middle; 3rd place- Emily Sinclair, Central Baldwin Middle; Honorable Mention-Skyelar Sanders, Gulf Shores Middle; Alexys Robinson, Elberta Middle; Tara Schilcher, Spanish Fort Middle; and Lacey Odom, Summerdale.

Students placing in the senior division (grades 9-12) included:  1st place-Felicia Jones and Lauren Vaughn, Spanish Fort; 2nd place –Destiny Wiggins, Foley; 3rd place-Paige Kostelecky, Robertsdale; and Honorable Mention-Barrett Rowland, Gulf Shores.

Here are the winning recipes from the contest:

Chocolate Dipped Sweet Potato Macaroons

Clark Peterson-Fairhope Middle School

1st Place-Junior Division-2011

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded sweetened flaked coconut

2 large egg whites                                                                  ½ cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour                                          ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon                                            ½ teaspoon salt

2 cups grated peeled sweet potato                                    ½ cup pecan chips, toasted

3 ounces EACH dark milk & white chocolate

3 tablespoons oil

• Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with foil and generously coat with cooking spray.
• Process coconut in a food processor until finely ground.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg whites, brown sugar, flour, vanilla, cinnamon and salt until well combined. Stir in coconut, sweet potato and pecans until well combined. Drop golf ball sized mounds of dough onto cookie sheets, using an ice cream scoop. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer macaroons to wire racks to cool.
• Heat dark chocolate and 1 T. oil in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Pour chocolate into a small bowl. Dip half of each macaroon into chocolate. Place on waxed paper to dry. Repeat with milk chocolate, then white chocolate.

Sweet Potato Cupcakes

Ashlyn Roland-Bay Minette Middle School

2nd Place-Junior Division-2011

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans                                  2 cups sugar

1 cup softened butter                                     4 large eggs

1-10 oz. can of sweet potatoes                    2/3 cup orange juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract                                       3 cups flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon                               ½ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 container cream cheese frosting

Directions:

Mix all ingredients. Put 2/3 cup batter in each cup in muffin pan (use paper liner). Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Cool, then frost with 6 tsp. icing on each cupcake.

Sweet Potato Crunch

Emily Sinclair-Central Baldwin Middle School

3rd Place-Junior Division-2011

Ingredients:

6 large sweet potatoes                                   8 tablespoons of butter

4 eggs                                                              2/3 cup of evaporated milk

2 teaspoons vanilla                            

1 cup sugar

Topping:

2/3 cup melted butter & cooled        

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup flour

2 cups chopped pecans

Bake sweet potatoes at 350 degrees until tender, 45 minutes.

Mash potatoes and remove outer skins. Combine potatoes and next five ingredients in a mixing bowl. Spread in baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Topping: Mix and spread over potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees until topping is hot.

Sweet Potato Cupcakes

Felicia Jones & Lauren Vaughn-Spanish Fort High School

1st Place-Senior Division-2011

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour                     2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon                     ½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt                                              1 cup butter, softened

1-1/2 cups sugar                                  3 eggs

½ tsp. vanilla                                          finely shredded orange peel

1-17.2 oz. can sweet potatoes (unsweetened), mashed

Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper bake cups. Set cups aside.

2.      In medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3.      In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat on high speed until light and fluffy about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition until combined. Add sweet potatoes and vanilla, beating until combined. Add flour mixture, beat until combined (batter will be thick)

4.      Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake about 20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool in pan on wire rack for 1 minute. Remove from pan and cool completely.

5.      Place cream cheese frosting in large resealable plastic bag. Cut a ¼ inch opening in one corner of bag. Pipe frosting on top of cupcakes. Sprinkle with orange peel. Makes 24 cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

In large mixing bowl, beat one 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened, and 2/3 cup butter, softened, with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons milk and beat until combined. Beat in 8 cups powdered sugar, about ½ cup at a time, until smooth and a good piping consistency. Makes 4 1/3 cups.

Sweet Potato Cake with Caramel Icing

Destiny Wiggins-Foley High School

2nd Place-Senior Division-2011

Ingredients:

½ cup oil                                                                      ¼ tsp. salt

2 cups sugar                                                                1 tsp. cinnamon

4 eggs, separated                                                       ½ cup water

2¼ cup flour                                                                3 tsp. baking powder

1½ cup grated raw sweet potatoes                            1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. nutmeg                                                              1 cup nuts, optional                           

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Beat oil with sugar. Add eggs, beating well after each addition.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients in order given, adding nuts and vanilla last. Mix just until blended, about 30 seconds.
4. Turn batter out into a greased and lightly floured (tap out excess) loaf pan and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Remove from oven and after five minutes, run a knife around edge of pan to free the cake. Cool on wire rack. Brush with melted butter while still warm and drizzle lightly with confectioner’s sugar icing, if desired.

Icing:

Add a few drops of vanilla (1 or 2 drops will do) to ½ cup confectioner’s sugar: stir in a few drops of water at a time until mixture is of correct consistency to pour over cake. Stir well.

Sweet Potato Dumplins

Paige Kostelecky-Robertsdale High School

3rd Place-Senior Division-2011

Ingredients:

2 packages (8 count) original crescent rolls

1 package sweet potato patties, cut in half

2 cups of water

1½ sticks margarine

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon corn starch

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

Roll each potato patty half in a crescent triangle. Place in a baking dish. Heat water, sugar, margarine, corn starch, and vanilla. Pour over dumplings. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until crescent rolls are brown. Sprinkle with cinnamon when done.

Baldwin County Sweet Potato Recipe Contest Senior Division Winners

Junior Division Sweet Potato Awards

Family and Consumer Science Teachers with students participating in the Sweet Potato Contest

Fall Frolic

Do you need new ideas before the holidays?  Plan to attend the Fall Frolic Program on Tuesday, November 15 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at the North Baldwin Infirmary Conference Center.   Baldwin County Master Gardener, Pat Libby will share decorating ideas for the season.  For more information, contact the Baldwin County Extension Office at 937-7176.

Email address: swingard@aces.edu

Phone: 937-7176 or 943-5061, 928-0860, ext. 2222

Baldwin County Extension Programs are supported by the Baldwin County Commission.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity educator and employer.