I think a lot of you probably know this by now, but in case you don’t, I’ll mention it again – Shane does not like fruits and veggies. There are very few exceptions to this rule. He eats potatoes, and he likes tomato sauce on his pasta, but I haven’t had much luck convincing him of the deliciousness of other options. When it comes to potatoes, it’s white potatoes only – even though I’ve assured him several times that sweet potatoes are just as good (if not better – especially when loaded with brown sugar and cinnamon, right??) as white potatoes. In other words, white potatoes are on the menu fairly often for dinner here and even though I’m not eating them every time he does, I still like to switch things up so it’s not always just a baked potato or roasted wedges on his plate. Variety is a good thing when your side dish options are so limited!
This is one of the recipes I turn to when making potatoes, and we both love them. They’re basically just a rich mashed potato piped decoratively and baked until they have a slight crust on the outside and a creamy interior. Two of my favorite things about this recipe – first, I get to break out my piping bag, which always makes me happy. The potatoes pipe beautifully and mostly maintain their shape in the oven. They spread/shrink just slightly, so keep that in mind when deciding how tall/wide to make your mounds. The other great thing about this recipe is that you can make the potatoes ahead of time, pipe them onto the baking sheet and refrigerate for up to a day until you’re ready to bake. It makes them the perfect option for company then since all you need to do is remove them from the fridge and bake for 15 minutes when dinner is almost ready – couldn’t be more simple!
Duchess Potatoes
from Cook’s Country
3 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes and softened
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
pinch nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Preheat oven to 475 F and place a rack in the upper third of your oven.
Using a fork, pierce the potatoes all over. Place them on a microwave safe plate and microwave until tender, about 18-25 minutes. (We have a baked potato button on our microwave that I always use so I haven’t verified the time the recipe suggests here.) Turn the potatoes over after 10 minutes.
When you remove the potatoes from the microwave, cut them in half and then let them cool enough that you can handle them. Scoop the flesh of the potatoes into a large bowl and mash until no lumps remain (for the most smooth texture, use a food mill or ricer to mash the potatoes – I’ve used my ricer each time I’ve made these & had good results). Add the cream, 3 tablespoons of the butter, the egg and egg yolk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and baking powder and stir until combined and smooth. Let the potato mixture cool to room temperature (this will just take a few minutes) and then fold in the remaining butter until evenly distributed.
Transfer the potato mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip (if you don’t have a piping bag or tips, you can also use a resealable plastic bag to pipe the potatoes). Pipe eight 4-inch-wide mounds of potato on a rimmed baking sheet. Spray the mounds lightly with cooking spray then bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
To make the potatoes ahead: After piping them onto the baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, don’t forget to spray lightly with cooking spray before placing the potatoes in the oven.
So fancy! I would never have thought to do this, but now I’ll have to try it out for dinner parties!
These are a real fun side dish, they’ve made a great addition to our dinner options!
These are to cute. I fear though that I would eat more than one….maybe three:) Great idea!
Mmmmm! I never thought to do this – such an easy little “extra” to make meals a bit more special!
Hello Tracey 🙂
I’m new here!Found your blog early this week and I love it!Been reading old posts and just want to say congratulations for such a nice blog!
You got a new fan in Brazil!:)
I don’t have a blog but been thinking of starting one. I really love to bake although I just have time for this passion on weekends :/
@Jacqui – Thanks for your kind words 🙂 Blogging is a lot of fun, and a good way to keep track of recipes even if you only bake on the weekend!
We all know I’m a freak when it comes to potatoes 🙂 I like the piping aspect of this. I’m still trying to learn how to maneuver my piping bag. Sometimes the tip won’t smush all the way through the hole! And then, sometimes whatever I’m piping won’t even be in the shape the tip is supposed to make it. GRR! But you look very professional at your piping 😉 Kudos on a lovely job well done!
Fancy of the Pantsy….love it…I want to eat the whole tray!
This looks like home… but fancier.
Thye look like beautiful cookies! Delish, thank you for sharing 🙂
Hmmm – I’m a huge tater lover and I really like the contrast between crunchy and creamy here. These look super super delish.
Gorgeous, Tracey! And your piping technique is perfect~
I love that Shane comments on your blog. It’s so cute. Your duchess potatoes look fit for royalty. Shane is a lucky guy!
I remember seeing this recipe in the magazine, but haven’t tried it yet. I bet the girls would enjoy these.
I’ve had potatoes like this in a restaurant, but never thought about making them. It’s so great to know that you can make them ahead and bake them just before serving!
Nice presentation on these…look fun and delicious!
These look beautiful! I especially like the presentation… perfect for dinner parties!
Hello Tracy,
I saw this recipe the other day on the show. I wanted to try it myself but the official website wouldn’t allow me to see( Membership required) I was dejected! Googled and guess what ! Found you…. thank you so very much. Your blog saved my day and my Russet potatoes as well! Keep up the good work!
Shiba
I made these and added a teaspoon of crème/fresh and chopped chives in the middle then piped to cover and baked when you cut into the mound of piped potatoes the crème fresh and chive melted out and was just delicious plus added a little surprise to the potatoes, Next time I think I’ll add a little teaspoon of shredded cheese