Sweet (To the Second Power) Potatoes OR When Used with Squash...Candy Squash

For Mitzi.
I have no picture yet, though I've made it twice in the last month for family and church gatherings. I usually use garden butternut squash instead of the sweet potatoes, hence, the "candy squash." And when I say "usually," I refer to the one or two times a year I make it for holiday get-togethers, where all children are told to "eat the yummy orange dessert that's next to all the vegetables." Guess what? It works.

This recipe is a delectable variant on the usual marshmallow-topped squash or sweet potato souffle and is topped with a crunchy, nutty layer. It's so dessert-like that it really should relinquish its title as "vegetable."

A lifetime of holiday thanks to BelleMichelle and "Fred," chief chef of the Houghton cafeteria my junior year- to Fred for relinquishing the recipe and BelleMichelle for coaxing the recipe out of him.
1 40 oz. can yams (I usually use the equivalent of butternut squash from the garden, cooked, seeds and skin removed, and pureed)
3 oz. butter or margerine
1 cup evaporated milk
1 and 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Drain and warm potatoes (or squash) and mash. Cream the rest and add the potatoes. Mix well, spoon into a 8-in. square baking dish, and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, mix 1 cup crushed cornflakes, 1/2 cup crushed walnuts, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, and 2 oz. melted butter or margarine. Sprinkle over the top of the potato/squash mixture and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

*Important Notice: I've never made this without increasing the topping amount at least by 1 and 1/2 times. So, mix 1 and 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes, 3/4 cup crushed walnuts, and so on. I also add a few sprinkles of cloves and a bit more cinnamon to the squash and a sprinkle or two of cinnamon to the topping.