Description
This Japanese Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée recipe combines the natural sweetness and creamy texture of roasted Japanese sweet potatoes with a rich, velvety custard base, topped with a classic caramelized sugar crust. It’s a sophisticated dessert that beautifully balances earthy flavors and indulgent sweetness, perfect for special occasions or a luxurious treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potatoes
- 7 medium Japanese sweet potatoes
Custard
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 3 egg yolks (omega-3 enriched recommended)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 cups milk
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping
- ¼ cup sugar (caster or granulated) for caramelizing
Instructions
- Roast the Sweet Potatoes: Preheat your oven to 392°F (200°C). Wrap each Japanese sweet potato individually in foil and place them on a baking tray. Roast in the oven for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Prepare the Custard Base: While the sweet potatoes roast, combine ⅔ cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually add the milk, whisking continuously to dissolve any lumps. Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency.
- Temper the Egg Yolks: Lightly beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl. To avoid curdling, temper the yolks by slowly adding about ¼ cup of the hot milk mixture to the yolks while whisking constantly.
- Thicken the Custard: Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over medium heat for an additional 2 minutes, continuing to whisk until the custard thickens further.
- Finish the Custard: Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in the unsalted butter and vanilla extract until the custard is smooth and glossy.
- Cool the Custard: Transfer the custard to a bowl and cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Prepare the Sweet Potato Shells: Once the roasted sweet potatoes have cooled for about 10 minutes, cut off the tops and carefully scoop out roughly one-third of the flesh, creating space to fill with custard without breaking the skins.
- Fill With Custard: Evenly fill each hollowed sweet potato with the cooled custard, smoothing the tops.
- Caramelize the Topping: Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of sugar evenly over the custard of each sweet potato. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar until it forms a dark amber, bubbling crust. Allow the caramelized tops to harden before serving.
Notes
- Ensure the sweet potatoes are tender before scooping to avoid breaking the skins.
- Use a kitchen torch for best caramelizing results; alternatively, place under a broiler briefly, but watch closely to prevent burning.
- Pressing plastic wrap directly on custard helps prevent a skin from forming during cooling.
- This dessert can be served warm or at room temperature depending on preference.
