A little history
This recipe caught my attention because it treats sweet potatoes very differently from the sugary casseroles that often appear on holiday tables today. There are no marshmallows, brown sugar, syrup, or warm spices. The filling is seasoned simply with butter, salt, and, if needed, a little cream.
Published under the heading “Vegetables,” the recipe instructs the cook to bake eight sweet potatoes, remove their centers, and rice the cooked flesh. A stiffly beaten egg white is folded into the filling before it is returned to the potato shells and baked again.
It is a simple form of twice-baked sweet potato, but the egg white makes the method especially interesting. Presumably, it was intended to make the filling smoother and lighter, although the newspaper does not describe the finished texture.
Like many vintage newspaper recipes, this one leaves several decisions to the cook. It gives no measurements for the butter, salt, or cream. The potatoes are initially baked “as usual,” and the second baking takes place in a “hot oven” rather than at a stated temperature.
The modern version below supplies practical quantities and temperatures while preserving the basic method. Those additions are modern editorial choices and were not included in the newspaper recipe.
The original recipe
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- 8 large sweet potatoes
- Salt
- Butter
- White of 1 egg
- Cream
Process
Rub skins of potatoes with butter and bake as usual. Break open and scoop out centers. Rice potatoes, add butter and salt and, if necessary, a little cream; beat until smooth and light; fold in stiffly beaten white of egg; refill shells and bake in hot oven about 10 minutes.
Method
-
Heat the oven to 400°F.
-
Scrub the sweet potatoes and dry them thoroughly. Pierce each one several times with a fork, then rub the skins lightly with softened butter.
-
Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife slides easily into the centers. The exact time will depend on their size.
-
Let the potatoes cool only until they can be handled comfortably.
-
Cut an opening along the top of each potato. Carefully scoop the flesh into a bowl, leaving a thin layer inside each skin to help the shell hold its shape.
-
Press the sweet potato flesh through a potato ricer. If you do not have one, mash it thoroughly by hand.
-
Add the softened butter and salt. Beat until the filling is smooth.
-
Add the cream 1 tablespoon at a time, using only enough to produce a soft filling that still holds its shape.
-
In a clean bowl, beat the egg white until stiff peaks form.
-
Gently fold the beaten egg white into the sweet potato mixture.
-
Spoon the filling back into the potato shells and mound it slightly on top.
-
Increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
-
Return the filled potatoes to the baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, following the finishing time given in the original recipe. If necessary, allow a few additional minutes for the filling to become hot.
-
Serve promptly.
The newspaper did not provide exact quantities for the butter, salt, or cream. It also did not specify the initial baking temperature, the meaning of “hot oven,” or precisely how the potatoes should be opened. Those details have been added to make the recipe usable in a modern kitchen.
A few things worth knowing
These are savory sweet potatoes
The original recipe contains no added sugar, syrup, cinnamon, or marshmallows. Aside from the natural sweetness of the potatoes, the flavor comes from butter, salt, and possibly a little cream.
“Rice the potatoes” refers to a kitchen technique
A potato ricer presses cooked potato through a perforated surface, creating small, even pieces that are easy to beat into a smooth filling. If you do not own a ricer, mash the sweet potatoes thoroughly by hand.
The cream is optional
The newspaper says to add a little cream “if necessary.” Sweet potatoes differ in moisture, so the cook was expected to judge the filling and add cream only if it seemed too dry.
The egg white is beaten separately
The recipe specifically calls for the white of one egg to be beaten stiffly before it is folded into the potatoes. In modern terms, beat it until the peaks stand upright when the whisk or beaters are lifted.
Fold rather than stir
Use a spatula to gently turn the egg white into the sweet potato mixture. This preserves more of the air incorporated during beating.
The amount of lift is unknown
Only one egg white is used for eight potatoes. It may soften or lighten the filling, but the newspaper does not say that the potatoes puff, rise, or resemble soufflés. Because the recipe has not been tested, its precise texture should not be presented as certain.
Leave the shells sturdy
The original recipe says to break open the potatoes and scoop out their centers. Leaving a thin layer of flesh inside each skin is a modern practical step that helps prevent the shells from tearing or collapsing.
“Hot oven” is not a precise temperature
The newspaper gives no numerical temperature for the second baking. The modern version uses 425°F as a practical interpretation, but that temperature is not part of the original recipe.
Good with
Serve these stuffed sweet potatoes with roast turkey, baked ham, roast chicken, or pork. Their simple buttery seasoning also makes them a savory alternative to a sweet potato casserole.
For a Sunday dinner, pair them with roasted meat, green beans, Brussels sprouts, or a crisp salad. They could also fit comfortably on a Thanksgiving table, although the surviving clipping does not identify them specifically as a holiday recipe.
Sources
The Rochester Herald, Rochester, NY, 29 Nov 1916