SWEET POTATO and PECAN MUFFINS

½ lb. (about two small) sweet potatoes
1 cup flour
¾ cup “white” whole wheat flour
¼ cup almond meal (this and above flour at TJ’s)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda (if you use regular milk instead of buttermilk, delete this)
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon allspice
½ cup butter
4 Tablespoons brown sugar
4 Tablespoons sugar
¼ cup plain yogurt (greek style is nice)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
¾ cup chopped raw pecans

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Prick potatoes with a fork and place on foil-lined cookie sheet. Roast for 1 hour or until tender. Remove, cool, scoop out flesh and mash with fork. (If your kids are really picky about texture, its worth breaking out the food processor and pureéing them.) Set aside. Or do this the night before and save.

Lower oven temperature to 350. Grease muffin tins (12 – 16).

Measure dry ingredients into medium bowl and whisk together well.

Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and beat until fluffy. Add yogurt, vanilla and cooled sweet potato and beat well. Stir in milk. Gradually stir in dry ingredients, then pecans.

Scoop into muffin tins, 2/3 full. Bake 25 – 35 minutes until tester comes out clean.