Sweet for my...

Cooking for yourself is one thing. Cooking for someone you love (aside from yourself) is something entirely different. Every ingredient is chosen just for him or her. In fact, the entire dish should be a reflection of that person's favorite flavors.

That's what this dish is about. My sweetheart loves sweet potatoes...and correctly points out that this is one of nature's most nutritious foods. Now, while this dish still has plenty of "sweet potato value"...it also has plenty of other yummy ingredients that I know he loves as well. So, tonight, after our long day in the Catskills and the bumper-to-bumper traffic we endured all the way home, I thought I'd surprise him with this tasty dish from a cookbook that came with my cookware.

It's easy to pull together, uses basic ingredients you probably have on hand, and cooks quickly.

Sweet Potato Pecan Crumbles

What you need:

2 1/4lbs sweet potatoes

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spices

1/2 stick sweet butter, chilled, cut into small cubes

2 oz pecans

1/4 cup maple syrup

What you do:

Preheat over to 350 degrees

Lightly butter 4 mini cocottes (or a 9" pie dish)

In medium sized bowl, combine sugar, spice and flour. With finger tips, swiftly work the cold butter into the dry ingredients. It should look like corn meal. (Work quickly...if ingredients become too warm, put the bowl into the refrigerator for 15 minutes until all is very well chilled and begin again.)

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them diagonally into 1/4 inch slices. Divide these between the 4 mini cocottes, sprinkle each container w/half of the "crumble," add the balance of the sweet potatoes, finish with the remaining "crumble." Then, top with pecans and drizzle with maple syrup.

Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil. I also like to place these onto a cookie sheet before setting into the oven...just to be safe. Bake for 45 minutes. Goes great w/chicken, roast and...of course...turkey.

It's a joy to cook for my sweetheart. He seems to enjoy whatever I serve. His biggest complaint isn't about my cooking, just that there isn't enough food -- now that's the way to a chef's heart!