Celebrate your child's love of learning

© Wondertime

It may be less of a mouthful, but please, don't teach your child to call these tuberous roots yams. Yams are large, grow in the tropics, and may require marshmallows to make them palatable, but real sweet potatoes don't.

Recipes:

Sweet Potato Muffins (see below)

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Butter

Mini-muffins make a good midday snack — loaded with fiber, they help kids feel full, which just may keep them away from the junk food.

Sweet Potato Muffins
Makes 12 standard or 36 mini-muffins

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups mashed baked sweet potato (from 1 large potato)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Spray oil or butter for greasing muffin cups
7 tablespoons cinnamon sugar (one tablespoon cinnamon mixed with 6 tablespoons granulated sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat the butter with a wooden spoon until creamy. Beat in sugars until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then beat in milk, vanilla, and sweet potatoes (batter might look curdled). In a separate bowl, your child can whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat together wet and dry mixtures until just combined.

Grease muffn tin and fill each cup about halfway with batter. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake about 18 minutes (14 for mini-muffns), until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Butter
Serves 4

1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
4 medium sweet potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Have your child smoosh together the first five ingredients with a rubber spatula in a bowl until well blended. Chill 10 minutes. Turn out onto waxed paper and, using the paper as an aid, roll the butter into a log about the size of a nickel. Wrap tightly in a new piece of waxed paper and refrigerate 1 hour or longer.

Scrub potatoes and prick the skin all over with a fork. Bake on oven rack 45 to 60 minutes, until they're soft and easily pierced through the center with a paring knife. Serve each potato with two coin-sized slices of the butter.

Nutritional Information
Per Serving (4 pieces): 350 Calories, 4g Protein, 59g Carbs, 9g Fiber, 13g Sugar, 11g Fat, 7g Saturated Fat, 251mg Sodium, 30mg Cholesterol.

What's Good for You
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene, which is good for kids' vision. It can help them see better in the dark — so maybe they'll sneak down after bedtime for another mini-muffin.