Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding
A dense baked Jamaican dessert of finely grated sweet potato, full fat coconut milk, cornmeal and freshly grated nutmeg, finished with a soft coconut custard top. Hell a top, hell a bottom, hallelujah in the middle.
Servings 10 squares
Ingredients
For the Pudding
- 2 lb sweet potatoes Jamaican white sweet potato if available, peeled and finely grated
- ½ lb yellow yam finely grated, optional but traditional
- ½ cup fine cornmeal
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 14 oz full fat coconut milk one can
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon browning sauce
- ½ cup raisins optional, soaked in warm water 10 minutes
For the Custard Top
- ½ cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Make the Batter
- Heat the oven to 350F and butter a deep 9 inch square baking dish.
- Peel the sweet potatoes and grate them on the fine holes of a box grater into a large bowl. Grate the yellow yam the same way if you are using it. Do not boil or mash the potato, the raw grated texture is what makes this pudding.
- Stir the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt through the grated potato.
- Add the coconut milk, melted butter, vanilla and browning sauce. Stir until uniform and slack, between a thick batter and a wet mash. Fold in the drained raisins if using.
Bake
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish, smooth the top, and bake 50 minutes, until the surface is set enough that liquid will sit on it rather than sink in.
- Whisk the coconut milk, brown sugar and cinnamon for the top. Pour it gently and evenly over the pudding, then return it to the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top sets into a pale skin with a slight jiggle at the center.
Cool and Serve
- Cool completely in the dish, at least 3 hours and preferably overnight. Warm pudding will not slice cleanly.
- Cut into squares and serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Sweet potato: the Jamaican white sweet potato (boniato) is drier and starchier and gives the firmest set. With orange American sweet potatoes, reduce the sugar to ¾ cup, add 2 extra tablespoons of cornmeal, and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer.
- Grate, do not boil: boiled and mashed potato makes a soft cakey dessert, not this one.
- Full fat coconut milk only: light coconut milk turns the pudding gummy.
- The custard top: pour it at the 50 minute mark, when the surface is set but still soft, so the layers fuse.
- Browning sauce: one tablespoon is for color. More than that turns it bitter.
- Better on day two: the spice settles and the texture tightens overnight.