Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Bread Pudding for Sweet Potato Day

Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Bread Pudding

By Irvin Lin

If you have a couple of sweet potato lying around, you can certainly just make this quick batter bread on a cold winter day and you’d be super happy with it for tea or breakfast. But chop it up and turn it into bread pudding and you’ll have a deep dark rich and (dare I use the word) decadent yet homey dessert that will have everyone clamoring for seconds. Who knew that the lowly tuber vegetable could produce something so deeply satisfying for a dessert?

This recipe uses bread flour, whole wheat flour and almond flour in the batter. If you don’t have any of those flours, you can certainly substitute all purpose flour for them, but the bread will be slightly more cakey less bready.

Ingredients
bread batter
12 oz (3/4 lbs, 340 g or two medium sized) sweet potatoes
1/2 cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
3/4 cup (165 g) dark brown sugar
11 tablespoons (310 g or 2 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (165 g) white bread flour
1/2 cup (85 g) whole wheat flour
1/2 cup (65 g) almond flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

custard for pudding
12 oz (3/4 lbs or 340 g) dark chocolate, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (125 g) white granulated sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
1. Make the bread by first peeling and cutting the sweet potatoes into 1 1/2 inch rounds and boiling them in water for 15 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Drain and mash the potatoes with a fork in a medium bowl.

2. Preheat the oven to 350˚F and generously grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with butter and flour. Place the sugars and butter in the bowl of a standing mixer. Cream on medium speed until fluffy about 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on how cool the butter is. Add the eggs, one at a time and then the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between additions. Mix the sour cream and baking soda in a small bowl and scrape into the batter. Beat to incorporate.

3. Place the flours, salt, and spices in a medium mixing bowl and using a balloon whisk, vigorously stir the dry ingredients until combined and uniform in color. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix to incorporate. Add half the mashed sweet potatoes and mix to incorporate. Repeat with the dry ingredients and sweet potatoes, ending on the dry ingredients.

4. Scrape the batter into greased loaf pan and bake in the oven for 55 to 60 minutes or when a skewer or tester inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for ten minutes before unmolding onto rack and cooling to room temperature.

5. To make the bread pudding, preheat the oven to 325˚F and spray a 9 inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat microwaving for 30 second intervals until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth (be careful not to overheat the chocolate). You can also melt the chocolate in a double boiler if you wish.

6. Place the milk and 1 cup of the cream in a saucepan and heat until you see small bubbles form at the side of the pan. Remove from heat. Place the eggs, egg yolks, 1 cup of the sugar, salt, spices and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and stir with a balloon whisk until a paste forms. Slowly pour the hot milk and cream into the egg paste in a small stream, stirring quickly with the balloon whisk. You don’t want to make scrambled eggs, so make sure the stream of hot milk and cream is slowly and steady as you stir. Add the melted chocolate once you are done with the milk and cream and stir with the whisk until completely incorporated.

7. Cut up the sweet potato bread into 1 inch chunks and place in the prepared baking pan. Pour the custard over the bread and press down on the bread cubes to dunk them in the custard. Let it rest for 15 minutes. Drizzle the remaining 1/2 cup of cream over the custard and then sprinkle the top with 2 tablespoon of sugar. Bake in the oven for about 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of the pan comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes enough for 12 servings.