Taste Fall

Ahh Fall – the season of all things that make you want to curl up under a snuggly throw and sip on something warm. It’s a season of comfort, and what better way to comfort ourselves this time of year than with a creamy, sweet, and slightly spiced treat, that with its generous topping of marshmallows, can evoke only the fondest memories of childhood. I’m not talking about hot chocolate, people.

Spiced Sweet Potato Mousse

(yield: 4 servings)

1 large sweet potato, peeled & cut into 1/2-inch cubes

 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground allspice

pinch of salt

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

10 marshmallows, each sliced in half horizontally

Place the sweet potatoes into a medium saucepan, and add just enough cold water to reach about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the potatoes. Add the ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until the potatoes are fork tender, about 16-18 minutes. Drain, and puree the potatoes until completely smooth. Mix in 1/2 of the maple syrup, reserving the remaining half for the whipped cream.

Whisk the egg yolks together in a large bowl set over a saucepan filled with 2 inches of simmering water (double boiler). Whisk yolks continuously over low heat for 4-5 minutes, until yolks become pale yellow and increase in volume. Remove from heat, and gradually incorporate the mashed sweet potatoes into the yolks. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream with the remaining half of maple syrup to stiff peaks. Reserve 1 cup of the whipped cream, and fold the rest into the sweet potato mixture. Place some of the sweet potato cream into each serving glass or bowl to form the first layer. Follow with a layer of the plain whipped cream, and a final layer of the sweet potato cream. Top each portion with 5 marshmallow halves, and char them using an electric cooking blow torch. If you don’t own one of these handy gadgets, just place the marshmallows on an oven-safe dish, and into the broiler for a few seconds.

If you’re not planning to serve this immediately, you can hold off on the marshmallow part until you are ready to serve, and just refrigerate the mousse until then. Enjoy!