Make-Ahead Duchess Mashed Potatoes

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Put them in a large saucepan, cover them with water, and add about 1 teaspoon of salt for each quart of water. Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat and continue boiling for 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain well.

3. Mash the hot potatoes with butter, salt, pepper, egg yolks, and cream. Beat until the potatoes are light and fluffy.

4. On a baking sheet, form individual serving size portions. You can do this by dropping small mounds of potatoes onto the sheet or by using a piping bag with a decorative tip and making swirled mounds.

5. Freeze the potato portions on the baking sheet until solid.

6. Package the frozen duchess potatoes in freezer storage bags or containers. Label the bag or container with the date and the contents, with a "best used by" date of a year. Store in the freezer until it's time to bake them.

7. To serve, place duchess potatoes on a lightly greased baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

8. Whisk 1 whole egg with the 2 teaspoons of water; brush the potato mounds lightly with the beaten egg mixture.

9. Brown the potatoes in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown and hot throughout.

Storage

The frozen potatoes will last at best quality for about a year in the freezer. They will still be safe to eat after that time so long as they don't show any dry spots or discoloration.

Once you have removed them from the freezer, don't leave them at room temperature for more than six hours. It's better to take them right from the freezer to the oven.