Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup cream
2 sprigs rosemary, about 3-inches in length
5 sage leaves
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese
Fried sage leaves to garnish, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Wash and scrub sweet potatoes, then pat dry. Prick the sweet potatoes several times using a fork. Place on an 11x17" baking sheet and place into preheated oven and bake for 1 hour or until soft.
3. Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and allow to cool before slicing in half. Slice each sweet potato in half lengthwise then carefully scoop out the filling using a spoon, making sure not to break the skin. Set the hallowed sweet potato skins aside and place the filling into a bowl.
4. In a Farberware saucepan, add butter, cream, rosemary, sage and smashed garlic then place on the stove over low heat. Once the butter has melted, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes making sure not to burn the butter. Pour mixture through a strainer into the bowl with the filling and discard the herbs and garlic, then mash the filling until smooth. Add salt, black pepper, and gruyere cheese and mix to combine. Divide evenly between the hallowed sweet potatoes skins and spoon or pipe the filling into the shells. Place onto baking sheet and back into the oven for 15-20 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Serve warm with fried sage leaves as garnish (optional).