Gingerbread Sweet Potato Casserole

Description: 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.

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)

Steps:

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.