Recipe: Yam Crackers

Yam Crackers

1 large yam or sweet potato, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp raw sugar or brown sugar, loosely packed
1 tbsp butter or margarine, softened

Place the yam in a saucepan, cover with water, and boil until soft (about 15 minutes). The tines of a fork should push easily into the yam.

Drain the yam. Puree the yam with 2 Tablespoons of water in the blender or food processor, or puree it by hand with a fork or potato masher. Measure out 1 cup of the puree for use in this recipe. Save the rest for another use.

Preheat the oven to 325F.

In a large bowl or in the food processor, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Add the pureed yam and blend well. Gather the dough into a ball. The dough will be very soft.

For easier rolling, wrap it in wax paper and chill for 1/2 hour. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions for rolling. On a well-floured surface or pastry cloth, roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thick.

With a sharp knife, cut the dough into graham cracker shapes, 2-inch by 3-inch rectangles. Transfer them to an ungreased baking sheet. Prick each one in 3 places with the tines of a fork. Bake for 20 minutes.

Turn the crackers and continue baking for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until they are just golden brown. Remove any crackers that brown before the others. Be careful not to overbake these crackers. Cool them on a rack.

Yield: 60-70