Sweet Potato Pone ~ a Thanksgiving Side Dish

A timing note: The pone may be made a day in advance, cooled completely, covered and refrigerated. Bring the pone to room temperature before slicing and serving. Serving a pone warm is fine too, but it may not slice as easily as it does once it has cooled.

You will also need:

1. A large mixing bowl and hand mixer or a standing mixer and bowl.
2. A casserole or baking dish. The one used for the pictured pone is a 10-inch round Pyrex one (2-inches deep), but any size casserole will be fine. Pones aren’t finicky—the baking time will not vary substantially, even if a smaller casserole is used.

For the pone:

1. Butter the baking dish or casserole. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. In the mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together.
3. Pour in the beaten eggs and mix them in well.
4. Add the sweet potato purée, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, salt and molasses and mix everything together well.
5. Pour the batter into the baking dish or casserole and bake it for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Baking times will vary a little, depending on the size of the baking dish. The pone is done when it no longer jiggles in the pan as though there is wet batter beneath its surface. It will be solid and look done.

A serving suggestion: This pone may be served alongside the main course of a Thanksgiving dinner. A pone slices better once it has cooled. It may be made a day in advance, cooled completely, covered, and refrigerated overnight. Bring it to room temperature before slicing and serving. Just like cranberry sauce, pone doesn’t have to be eaten warm.