Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée

Guys, I’m thinking about starting a crème brûlée blog. All crème brûlée, all the time. Would you read that?

Oh, you would but only for a week before you got too bored?

DREAM KILLERS!

Plus I already bought the domain. BruleeMe.com

JK. I don’t own that. If only.

In all seriousness, I do often fantasize about making a batch of crème brûlée, storing them all in my refrigerator, and pulling one out each night to brûlée just for me. I also have a dream to stay healthy. And these dreams conflict, so it’s hard to say which will win.

Which brings me to my next project, a self-help book titled, “What to do When Your Dreams Conflict.”

Spoiler: you choose the delicious dream. Duh.

Actually, no, I take it back. Stay healthy, guys. I want to blog for you until I’m a grandma and my crafting habits finally make sense.

Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée, makes five large ramekins or 6-7 smaller ramekins*

6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
8 oz. cooked sweet potato (I used canned, drained from the can juices)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup fine (baker’s) sugar
15 mini marshmallows for garnish

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined. Add in the sweet potato and blend well. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Then stir in the vanilla extract, cinnamon, and heavy cream. Pour into your ramekins, place in a baking dish with a lip, fill the dish with water (this is baking in a water bath), and bake at 325°F for 50-55 minutes. The centers should look set but with a slight jiggle. They should not appear to be entirely liquid.

*I have a number of different sized ramekins (or oven-safe bowls) I’ve collected over the years. The ones I used here are larger… what I would consider “sharing size,” so they are deceptive in how many crème brûlées they will make. This recipe could easily produce 6-7 smaller, more standard size crème brûlées had I used a different sized ramekin. Also, if you do use a smaller ramekin here, keep in mind you may need to adjust your bake time. It may take 10-15 minutes LESS to bake if you use smaller vessels. If you feel unsure, just keep an eye on them during the last few minutes of baking to ensure you don’t overcook them.

Once your custards are baked, allow to cool before covering and refrigerating. You will want to refrigerate these at least a couple hours before serving. But you can easily make these a few days ahead of any event. I made mine two days before our Friendsgiving, and they were delicious the day we ate them, with hardly any work on my part that day to prepare them. I LOVE make ahead desserts. 🙂

Just before serving, top each custard with a thin layer of fine sugar (regular granulated sugar will work as well), and brûlée with a kitchen torch. Or you can do this under your oven’s broiler, just keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn.

Since these are sweet potato crème brûlées, I thought it would be fitting to top each with three mini marshmallows and toast those as well. This is completely optional as it’s really more for the look of the dish than the taste.

Yay for unexpected, make-ahead desserts that still feel impressive. Plus this was SO delicious. I wish I hadn’t been so full from the meal so I could have eaten the whole thing by myself. 🙂 Enjoy! xo. Emma

Credits // Author: Emma Chapman, Photography: Sarah Rhodes and Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.

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Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 6 egg yolks
• ▢ ½ cup sugar
• ▢ 8 oz. cooked sweet potato (I used canned, drained from the can juices)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 3 cups heavy cream
• ▢ ¼ cup fine (baker's sugar)
• ▢ 15 mini marshmallows for garnish

Instructions

• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined. Add in the sweet potato and blend well. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Then stir in the vanilla extract, cinnamon, and heavy cream. Pour into your ramekins, place in a baking dish with a lip, fill the dish with water (this is baking in a water bath), and bake at 325°F for 50-55 minutes. The centers should look set but with a slight jiggle. They should not appear to be entirely liquid.
• *I have a number of different sized ramekins (or oven-safe bowls) I've collected over the years. The ones I used here are larger… what I would consider "sharing size," so they are deceptive in how many crème brûlées they will make. This recipe could easily produce 6-7 smaller, more standard size crème brûlées had I used a different sized ramekin. Also, if you do use a smaller ramekin here, keep in mind you may need to adjust your bake time. It may take 10-15 minutes LESS to bake if you use smaller vessels. If you feel unsure, just keep an eye on them during the last few minutes of baking to ensure you don't overcook them.
• Once your custards are baked, allow to cool before covering and refrigerating. You will want to refrigerate these at least a couple hours before serving. But you can easily make these a few days ahead of any event. I made mine two days before our Friendsgiving, and they were delicious the day we ate them, with hardly any work on my part that day to prepare them. I LOVE make ahead desserts.
• Just before serving, top each custard with a thin layer of fine sugar (regular granulated sugar will work as well), and brûlée with a kitchen torch. Or you can do this under your oven's broiler, just keep a close eye on them so they don't burn.
• Since these are sweet potato crème brûlées, I thought it would be fitting to top each with three mini marshmallows and toast those as well. This is completely optional as it's really more for the look of the dish than the taste.