Baked sweet potatoes with brown butter, pecans and pretzels

Is it just me, or does the vibrant shade of these butter-burnished orange kumara remind you of the glowing visage of a certain world leader? These are much more palatable, thanks to the contrast between the soft, sweet flesh and the crunchy, salty topping. Leftovers are surprisingly good cold, too.

Ingredients

4 medium	Orange kumara, scrubbed and picked all over with a fork (Main)
100 g	Butter
2 Tbsp	maple syrup
½ tsp	Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup	Pretzel, crushed (Main)
½ cup	Chopped pecans

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 200C. Put the kumara on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes. Turn them over and bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven and cut in half lengthways. Rough up the flesh slightly with a fork and return the kumara to the baking tray.
2. Melt the butter in a small pot set over medium heat. Let it cook for about five minutes, until it'sgolden brown and smells nutty. Carefully add the maple syrup, followed by the pepper, pretzels and pecans. Stir well and remove from the heat. Spoon this mixture over the halved kumara, making sure you scrape out every last bit of butter (especially the brown bits). Return the kumara to the oven for 5-10 minutes, until the tops are crispy. Transfer to a platter and serve.