A favorite dish we like to prepare for the holidays (or any time in the colder months) is The New York Times' mashed sweet potatoes with maple and brown butter. It's the perfect creamy, sweet and salty, and nourishing side for your holiday feast. This year, we've adapted the recipe and used our Cinnamon & Crystallized Ginger Cultured Butter! This adds a little zing and spice to the potatoes. 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3/4 cup raw pecans or walnuts (optional)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 8-10 Tbsp of Ploughgate Cultured Butter (we used Crystallized Ginger & Cinnamon)
• 3 Tbsp real maple syrup, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste  

DIRECTIONS

• Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into 1in chunks. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the sweet potatoes. 
• Boil the potatoes uncovered stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the pan. Cook over a boil for about 15-20 mins or until the potatoes are very tender and a fork pierces them easily.
• While the potatoes are boiling, toast the pecans or walnuts in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Toss often for up t0 5 minutes. Be very careful that they don't burn! Once they reach a lightly toasted remove the pan from heat and transfer nuts to a wooden cutting board and chop roughly. Sprinkle with salt. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel after it has cooled slightly. 
• In the same pan, melt your Ploughgate Cultured Butter over medium heat. Cook and watch carefully to avoid burning the butter. Stir occasionally with a silicone spatula until the butter starts to turn brown and gives off a nutty aroma. This was about 3 mins for us. 

• Remove the pan from the heat and pour the melted butter into a heatproof bowl. Scrape the pan to get all the butter. Set aside.
• Drain the potatoes and add to a stand mixer bowl. Use the paddle attachment to blend.  Add milk, 3 Tbsp of maple syrup, and 2 tsp of pepper. Mix on medium-low speed until potatoes are creamy.
• Pour in the brown butter and continue mixing until incorporated but not over mixed. Use a form to smash any chunks of potato.
• Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the nuts. Drizzle the warm syrup right before serving. 
• If not serving immediately, keep the potatoes in the over on low heat for 30 minutes and add the nuts and syrup right before serving.
• Enjoy!