• Cooking Time: 40 minutes
• Servings: 16 muffins
• Preparation Time: 10 minutes
• 1 cup Tropical Food’s PB&J Mix®, separated
• ¼ cup Tropical Food’s PB&J Mix®
• 12 muffin liners
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. cardamom
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tbsp. heavy cream
• ¼ cup and 1 tbsp. white sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 banana, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

1. Peel and chop sweet potato into one-inch cubes and toss with cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg.
2. Melt butter in a pot and add in seasoned sweet potato cubes.
3. Stir and add in cream and maple syrup.
4. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer.
5. Cook for 20 minutes, or until soft.
6. Blend ¼ cup Tropical Food’s PB&J Mix® and 1 tbsp. white sugar in a blender, until it resembles fine crumbs.
7. Separate the remaining PB&J Mix® by placing cranberries and peanut butter chips in one bowl and peanuts in a separate bowl.
8. Roughly chop half the peanuts in the food processor and set aside. Process the other half until it forms a thick paste.
9. Sift together flour, brown sugar, ¼ cup white sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
10. Add chopped peanuts, cranberries and peanut butter chips to dry ingredients.
11. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
12. Add chopped banana and peanut paste to the tender sweet potatoes; mash or puree.
13. Mix egg, milk and oil in a medium bowl, then whisk in sweet potato mixture. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
14. Combine with a spoon until moistened, but do not over mix batter.
15. Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

On October 9th, 2012, Tropical Foods had its Flavors of the Fall Recipe Contest with the culinary students at the Charlotte Campus of Johnson & Wales University. This recipe, Coffee’s Best Friend, was created by Bridget McQuaige.