Spoonbread of Bernie Lomax

Ingredients

• 1.5 teaspoons baking soda 
• 1.5 cups buttermilk 
• 0.1 teaspoon ground pepper 
• 5 large egg whites at room temperature
• 1.5 tablespoons honey 
• 1.5 teaspoons salt 
• 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 2 large sweet potatoes and into 
• 1.5 tablespoons butter unsalted room temperature
• 3 cups water boiling
• 2.3 cups cornmeal yellow

Equipment

• bowl
• sauce pan
• oven
• whisk
• baking pan
• toothpicks
• wooden spoon
• stand mixer
• microwave

Directions

1. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.
2. Cook sweet potatoes in the microwave on 100 percent power for 12 minutes or bake in center rack of 375°F oven for 1 hour. Once cooked, scoop out of skins and mash. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of mushed sweet potatoes.
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking soda.
4. Boil 2 cups of water in a small saucepan over high heat.
5. Add the butter to the water and stir until it melts.
6. Mix hot water-butter mixture into cornmeal, mixture with wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
7. Add buttermilk, honey, and cayenne to sweet potato mixture.
8. Mix with electric handheld mixer or stand mixer until well combined.
9. Add cornmeal mixture and beat until just combined.
10. In a clean bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gently fold egg whites into potato mixture until homogeneous.
11. Add the batter to the buttered baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.