The Obamas’ White House Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Looking for a new way to do Thanksgiving sweet potatoes?
Here’s the recipe served by President Barack and Michelle Obama to around 50 guests in 2009. It is featured in “A White House Garden Cookbook: Healthy Ideas from the First Family for Your Family” by Clara Silverstein.
The Obamas have a fondness for sweet potatoes.
This recipe looks almost pretty healthy: lots of spices, very little butter and no brown sugar or marshmallows. it serves four, so you will need to double or triple it for a bigger group.
Despite the long history of White House Thanksgiving traditions and a
1789 call by George Washington to make November 26 a national day of
“public thanksgiving,” it was not until the 1840s that Thanksgiving
dinner was first served there, under James K. Polk’s administration.
Since then, each passing First Family has altered and added to those
traditions with their unique contributions of food preferences and
customs. For example, Harry S. Truman started the annual White House
tradition of pardoning a turkey before Thanksgiving.
The book includes other Thanksgiving recipes from the White House and
community gardens around the country, such as Fennel-Parsnip Puree, Pear & Fennel Salad, Kohlrabi & Carrot Stew, Tasty Greens with Turnips, Baby
Carrots with Orange Juice & Cinnamon, Nutty Carrot & Cabbage Salad,
various salsas, White House Baked Sliced Apples, and White House Apple
Pie.
White House Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4
3 medium (12 to 16 ounces each) sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon chili powder
Pinch of ground cloves
4 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt to taste
1. Set the oven at 425 degrees.
2. Wash the potatoes, pat dry, and wrap each one in foil. Place on a
baking sheet and bake until soft all the way through, approximately one
hour cooking time will vary depending on the size of he potatoes).
3. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Unwrap the foil and allow them to
cool enough to handle.
4. Cut each potato in half. Scoop out the inside and place in a large
mixing bowl.
5. Add the butter, cinnamon, cumin, chili powder, cloves, orange juice,
and lemon juice. Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment on
medium speed, whip the potatoes until smooth and all the ingredients are
incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Add the salt and serve.