Tea Time With Konstant Kraver

Sweet Potato, Pecan and Maple Syrup Round

                                                                                              By Konstant Kraver

This sweet potato round with pecans and its sinful maple syrup glaze will have you licking your fingers it is so soft and moist; that it is an absolute taste sensation and perfect as a Thanksgiving or any day of the week really afternoon treat.It was adapted from a recipe I found on the Better Homes and Gardens website.

Ingredients

300g sweet potato,(peeled and chopped into chunks)
2 cups self-raising flour
80g butter, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten 
1/2 cup milk
Extra flour, for kneading
Extra 40g butter, softened 
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp mixed spice

Maple Syrup Glaze

50g butter 
1/4 cup maple syrup (Coles brand works well )
3/4 cups pure icing
sugar, sifted
1 Tbsp milk
1tsp brown sugar 
1tsp vanilla essence 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Line a 22cm round cake tin with baking paper. Cook sweet potato in boiling water until tender. Drain, mash and allow to cool.

2. Sift flour into a large mixing bowl, add butter and rub in using your fingertips. Make a well in the center, add the sweet potato, egg,mixed spice,vanilla essence and milk, and stir to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until no longer sticky. Roll out to form a 20 x 30cm rectangle.

3. Spread dough with extra butter, and sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans. Roll up firmly to form a log and cut into 3cm-thick pinwheels. Put pinwheels close together in prepared tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

4. To make the maple syrup glaze, put butter and sugar in a small pan over a medium heat and stir until melted.Add the maple syrup and stir in followed by the icing sugar. Keep stirring for about 1-2 minutes and just before you take it off the fire, stir in the vanilla essence. Remove from heat and let it stand for 1 min before pouring the glaze over the top of the round. Leave to stand for 10-15 minutes for glaze to firm before serving.

After Thoughts

When you roll out the dough I find the best way  to roll it out is between two large sheets of cookie paper, saves the mess and drama of possibly getting it stuck to the table and it also makes it so much easier to roll up .