Baked Sweet Potatoes with Tropical Orange-Raisin Sauce

8 small sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks in their own juice
1/2 cup raisins
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Sweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash and scrub sweet potatoes; pierce them with a small knife or fork. Place them on a baking sheet and bake until they are tender when pierced, about 45 minutes (or, to microwave, place sweet potatoes in batches in a microwave-safe dish; microwave on HIGH about 6 minutes per pound or until tender when pierced).

When sweet potatoes are nearly done, combine orange juice and pineapple juice from can in a saucepan; cut each pineapple chunk in half then add to juices along with raisins and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking often.

Mix cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water until smooth. Whisking constantly, slowly add cornstarch mixture to sauce. Stir until sauce bubbles and thickens, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

To serve, cut each sweet potato open, fluff insides with a fork, and top with a generous spoonful of sauce. Offer coconut to add to taste.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: calories 232; protein 3g; carbohydrate 56g; fat 1g (2% cal from fat); cholesterol 0mg; sodium 21mg; vitamin A 26,788 IU; fiber 5g