Think Twice - Special Cranberry Sauce & Twice Baked Sweet P

The cranberry sauce: Tart, sweet, and savory all combine in this recipe that brings new depth to an old classic. Given to me by a friend, who said it came from BHG. This is good warm, room temperature, or cold, making it easy to add in to a holiday dinner. One recipe makes enough to stuff sweet potatoes and serve extra. The potatoes: Filled with layers of flavor and textures, these sweet potatoes are wonderful! You can stuff them the day before a big dinner so all you have to do the day of is to warm them. The second baking is easier if you've chosen potatoes with a somewhat flat side so they don't roll.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 8-10
• Yields: 10 Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• Cranberry Sauce

• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 2  garlic cloves, pressed
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 12  ounces cranberries
• 1  cup pomegranate juice or 1  cup cranberry juice
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1  medium  persimmons or 1  medium apple, in 1/4-inch cubes

• Potatoes

• 5  medium sweet potatoes
• 1⁄2 cup cranberry sauce
• 1⁄2 cup dried cranberries or 1⁄2 cup raisins, chopped
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup pecan pieces or 1⁄2 cup walnut pieces, toasted

Directions

1. Cranberry sauce:
2. Saute garlic and onion in oil for 2-3 minutes or until onion is soft.
3. Add cranberries, juice, sugar, and ginger. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.
4. Simmer uncovered 16-17 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until just thickening.
5. Remove from heat and add apple cubes. Allow to sit a bit before serving so apples will not be too crunchy.
6. Potatoes:
7. Preheat oven to 325.
8. Scrub potatoes and pierce or prick in several places.
9. Bake until soft, about an hour.
10. Cut each potato in half so that any flattened sides will remain for stabilizing.
11. Scoop out the insides of the potatoes, leaving 1/4" inside each shell.
12. Mash potatoes and mix in everything else, reserving some nuts to sprinkle on top.
13. Bake at 300 or 325 for 25-30 minutes or until warmed through.