How to make sweet potatoes pancakes with honey-cinnamon butter

Given their annual appearance on the Thanksgiving table, buried under a snowdrift of melted marshmallow, sweet potatoes may already be an easy sell in your home. But you don't have to pile on the candy or brown-sugar glaze for them to win your children's affections. Even naked and alone, the sweet potato has natural sugars that are enough to satisfy any sweet tooth, and without the traditional gilding, this vegetable offers generous nutritional benefits. Its vibrant orange flesh provides healthy doses of beta-carotene (an immunity-boosting nutrient) and vitamin A, as well as worthwhile amounts of calcium and protein.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• For the sweet-potato pancakes 2 large eggs 1 cup buttermilk, plus more if necessary 2½ tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup store-bought pancake mix 1 small pinch ground nutmeg 1 small sweet po

1. Beat together the butter, honey, and cinnamon until smooth. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and oil. Stir in the pancake mix and nutmeg until just combined. Fold in the sweet potato. If the batter seems too thick, add more buttermilk until it reaches the desired consistency (it should be thick but still pourable).

3. 
    

   Place a large, greased griddle or pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, spoon the batter onto it and cook until the surface of the pancake is covered with bubbles, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden, 1 to 2 minutes more. Serve, topped with the honey-cinnamon butter and a little maple syrup.

4. For the honey-cinnamon butter
   ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
   1½ teaspoons honey
   1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Tips & Warnings

• As a time-saver, substitute 3 ounces of sweet-potato baby food for the cooked sweet potato (try the organic sweet-potato blend from Plum Organics, available at most Whole Foods stores). And if you don't have time to make the honey-cinnamon butter, serve the pancakes with plain unsalted butter and dust them lightly with confectioners' sugar.
• Sweet potatoes have a short shelf life, and refrigeration tends to thicken their skins and give them a slightly "off" flavor. Buy only as many as you need and, if possible, store them in a cool (not cold), dark place, such as a pantry or cellar. If you want to remove the skins, boil the sweet potatoes until they are fork-tender, then immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water. When they are cool enough to handle, they'll be easy to slip out of their skins.