Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Butter

It may be less of a mouthful, but please, don't teach your child to call these tuberous roots yams. Yams are large, grow in the tropics, and may require marshmallows to make them palatable, but real sweet potatoes don't.

Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
4 medium sweet potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Have your child smoosh together the first five ingredients with a rubber spatula in a bowl until well blended. Chill 10 minutes. Turn out onto waxed paper and, using the paper as an aid, roll the butter into a log about the size of a nickel. Wrap tightly in a new piece of waxed paper and refrigerate 1 hour or longer.
2. Scrub potatoes and prick the skin all over with a fork. Bake on oven rack 45 to 60 minutes, until they're soft and easily pierced through the center with a paring knife. Serve each potato with two coin-sized slices of the butter.