Spiced Sweet Potato Purée With A Gingerbread Topping

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• salt, freshly ground black pepper
• 1 orange (whole bands of zest, and juice of)
• 3 inches cinnamon sticks
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small onion, peeled and studded with 2 cloves
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 golden delicious apple, peeled, cored and cut in 1/4-inch dice
• 1 small banana, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup gingerbread, dried and ground finely like breadcrumbs

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350°f.
• 2 place the sweet potatoes in a large pot. add enough water to cover by 1 inch, a pinch of salt, ½ of the orange zest, 1 cinnamon stick, the bay leaf and clove studded onion. bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes or until fork tender.
• 3 while the sweet potatoes are cooking, prepare the fruit. melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. add the apple, banana, remaining orange peel, and remaining stick of cinnamon and sauté until lightly caramelized, stirring often, about 7 to 10 minutes. transfer the fruits to a plate with a slotted spoon. add 1 tablespoon of the sugar of the pan, cook to a light brown caramel, carefully add the orange juice, and reduce to 1 tablespoon. add ¾ of the heavy cream and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. return the cooked fruit to the pot, mix well, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. remove from heat and discard the orange peel and cinnamon stick. keep warm.
• 4 when the sweet potatoes are done, drain them well and discard the orange peel, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and onion. transfer the warm sweet potatoes to a food processor. add the fruit, salt and pepper, and purée. mix in the remaining cream if the purée is too thick, and taste for seasoning. transfer the purée to a gratin serving dish and sprinkle with the gingerbread crumbs. bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the top is light golden brown.
• 5 serve immediately.