Gingerbread Sweet Potato Casserole

A crisp gingersnap topping earns this Southern sweet potato casserole high marks. Purchase crisp gingersnap cookies rather than the soft variety for making the streusel.

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 6  sweet potatoes (4 pounds)
• 1⁄2 cup  firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup butter or 1⁄2 cup margarine, melted
• 1⁄3 cup half-and-half
• 2  large eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 cup  firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 cup  cold butter or 1⁄4 cup margarine, cut into pieces
• 32  coarsely crushed  gingersnap cookies (Nabisco brand preferred)

Directions

1. Cook sweet potatoes in a Dutch oven in boiling water and cover over medium heat 30 minutes or until tender. Cool; peel and mash potatoes.
2. Combine mashed sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and next 4 ingredients in a mixing bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. (Or mash with a potato masher until smooth.) Spoon into a greased 2 1/2-quart pr 13"x9" baking dish.
3. Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and flour. Cut in 1/4 cup cold butter with a pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in crushed gingersnaps. Sprinkle streusel over sweet potato mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350F for 25 minutes or until streusel is lightly browned.