In this audio clip I explain the term 'cream' and how to use it in the following recipe below.

Hot Buttered Rum Cocktail Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002
Prep Time: 10 min Inactive Prep Time: 1 min Cook Time: 10 min Level: Easy Serves: 10 to 12 servings Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• Pinch ground cloves
• Pinch salt
• Bottle dark rum
• Boiling water

Directions:
 1) In a bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
 2) Refrigerate until almost firm. 
 3) Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture into 12 small mugs.
 4) Pour about 3 ounces of rum into each mug (filling about halfway). 
  5) Top with boiling water (to fill the remaining half), stir well, and serve immediately.


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I was very excited to try this Sweet Potato gratin recipe from the "Today's Kitchen" cookbook that I recently picked up. How can I go wrong with sweet potatoes, ginger and pineapples. Well.... the recipe didn't produce enough pineapple mixture for the amount of sweet potatoes.  Lucky I'm here to make these mistakes to save you time.   I tweeked the measurements and added some notes so you can get it right the first time around.

Baked Sweet Potato Gratin with ginger and pineapples
Serves 8

3 lbs 4 lbs of, sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced thin into 1/8 inch pieces
1 tablespoon butter, plus 6 tablespoons, chilled
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 (12 – ounce) can crushed pineapples in its own juice
½ cup minced fresh ginger
Pinch of nutmeg
½ cup light brown sugar

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and use a 9 by 13 baking dish or a gratin dish
2) Use one tablespoon of butter to grease baking dish
3) In a bowl mix together orange juice, pineapple,nutmeg, and ginger; set aside.
4) In the baking dish, make one layer of overlapping sliced of sweet potatoes.
5) Sprinkle with pineapple mixture, dot with butter, and then make another layer of potatoes and continue until potatoes are finished. End with pineapple mixture and butter on top.
6) Bake in oven for 40 to 45 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender when a pairing knife is inserted. Baste gratin with excess juices every 10 minutes. The top should be bubbly and brown. If the top gets too brown or starts to burn, cover with aluminum foil and continue cooking until sweet potatoes are done.

Tip for perfection:
 * Be sure to slice your potatoes as thin as possible. They get all melty and creamy. Slice them too thick and you'll have trouble cooking them through.

Random fact:
1 cup sweet potatoe puree = 1 lbs sweet potato