Baked Sweet Potatoes with Maple Flakes Sour Cream

Ingredients: 

• Medium sized sweet potatoes 
• canola oil for oiling outside of potatoes
• kosher salt for salting outside of potatoes
• 1 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp maple flakes + more to serve (Tonewood maple flakes)*
• 3 - 4 pieces maple flavored bacon, cooked crisp and cut into 1/4' - 1/2" pieces
• a handful of pecans, chopped and toasted

* Original recipe used brown sugar

Maple Flakes

Step-by-Step:
Coat the outside of the sweet potatoes with oil, then sprinkle with salt.  Pierce them several times with a fork to allow the steam to escape.  Bake at 400 degrees F for about 1 hour.  You should be able to (carefully) press the sides of the potato and they will indent under the pressure when they are done.  You will also see the natural syrup begin to escape from the potatoes when they are done.  

canola oil

a nice massage!

kosher salt

and don't forget to prick it a few times with a fork!

While they are baking, mix the topping by combining sour cream, maple syrup, and maple flakes.  Adjust to your taste.  

1 cup reduced fat sour cream

3 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp maple flakes

Stir!  

Also, cook the bacon until crisp, allow to cool, then chop into small pieces.  

3 - 4 pieces maple flavored bacon, cooked crisp and cut into 1/4' - 1/2" pieces

Chop the pecans into small pieces and dry toast them in the oven (or stovetop). 

a handful of pecans, chopped

... and toasted

Once the potatoes are cooked, make a deep slit down the center.  
Add a spoon of maple flakes into the cavity if you'd like, then top with the sweetened sour cream.  Sprinkle with bacon pieces, toasted pecans, and a bit more maple flakes.