Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Apples

This recipe is one of Ina Garten's, from Barefoot Contessa Family Style I think. It's my favorite yam recipe I've found so far. I think it tastes best when the apples are caramelized. I've only been able to achieve this once! Usually they end up all soft and mushy. I'm sure I'm using the wrong apples. I'm going to try my new favorite apple: Honeycrisp. I will probably split these into two casserole dishes and top one with the apples and one with mini-marshmallows, to appease my family members whose Thanksgiving tastes are not as... sophisticated as mine. :)

INGREDIENTS

	8 pounds (about 12 large) sweet potatoes
	1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
	1 cup heavy cream
	8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
	1/2 cup light brown sugar
	2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
	1 teaspoon cinnamon
	4 teaspoons salt
	2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
	6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
	6 McIntosh or Macoun apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
	6 tablespoons light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375°. Scrub potatoes, then prick several times with a knife or fork. Bake 1 hour, or until very soft when pierced with a knife. Combine orange juice, cream, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.

Remove potatoes from oven. Once cooled, scoop out the insides with a spoon. Place 1/2 of sweet potato meat into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add 1/2 of juice-and-cream mixture, blend until combined but not smooth, and pour into a large baking dish. Repeat with remaining potatoes and juice-and-cream mixture, and add to baking dish.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple wedges and brown sugar; cook about 10 minutes, turning apples occasionally, until lightly browned on both sides. Place on top of sweet potatoes and bake 30 minutes, until heated through. (Note: If refrigerating before baking, cook 45 minutes, or until heated through.)