The Very Best Sweet Potato Pudding
This dessert reminds me of my mom. It’s soft and sweet and comforting. It’s a dessert that my relatives often made when I was growing up and one that I enjoyed then and still enjoy today.
½ cup unsweetened desiccated coconut (43 grams)
1 ½ pounds sweet potato (680 grams)
½ pound yam (250 grams)
3 tbsp freshly grated ginger (16 grams)
1 tsp ground allspice (2.75 grams)
1 tsp ground nutmeg (3.35 grams)
1 tbsp ground cinnamon (10 grams)
2 tbsp vanilla extract (28 grams)
2 cups coconut milk (480 ml)
¼ cup melted unsalted butter (60 ml)
¼ cup cornmeal (45 grams)
⅓ cup all-purpose flour (45 grams)
1½ cups sugar (300 grams)
2 tsp salt (13 grams)
½ cup golden raisins soaked in 3 tbsp dark rum overnight (optional)
Topping:
1 tsp ground cinnamon (3.12 grams)
½ tsp ground nutmeg (2 grams)
½ tbsp vanilla extract (7 grams)
2 tbsp sugar (25 grams)
½ cup coconut milk (120 ml)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10″ springform pan.
Rehydrate your coconut. Soak in hot water for 15-20 minutes to rehydrate, then squeeze out all the water.
Peel all the yams, sweet potatoes, and ginger. Set a box grater, zester side up, into a large mixing bowl. Grate the sweet potatoes, yam, and ginger using the zester. This is labor intensive but gives the pudding a great texture.
Bring a cup of water to a boil in a small pot on medium-high heat. Add in the allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla and let boil for 2 minutes. Once this is done, pour the spice mixture into the sweet potato mixture along with the coconut milk and melted butter.
Using an electric hand mixer, combine the ingredients.
In a medium bowl, combine the rehydrated coconut, cornmeal, flour, sugar, and salt. Then slowly add to the wet mixture, continuing to use the electric mixer at medium speed until combined. (Drain the raisins and stir them in if you are using raisins)
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for one hour in the preheated oven. Remove from oven after one hour of baking time, add the topping, and then continue to cook for 15 more minutes.
A wooden skewer inserted into the center should come out clean. You will see caramelization around the edges of the baking pan, but this will not be set like a cake. The consistency will be similar to that of pumpkin pie with a stiff filling.
