Your "Local Sunday Newspaper" Seven Days a Week!

Recipes

Wow Them With Crème Brûlée by Nancy Ancrum, culinary writer

Posted 7/29/2010

(NAPSI) - If you've never made a custard, try this. It takes a classic French dessert and combines it with a staple of the Americas--the orange-fleshed sweet potato, domesticated in South America for at least 5,000 years.

If you can whisk the egg yolks into the hot cream without scrambling them--and you can--you'll open up a world of desserts: flans of Spanish heritage, pots de crème from France and many other tantalizing sweets.

Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée

Source: Marvin Woods

• 1 large sweet potato, unpeeled
• ½ cup, plus 1 tablespoon, sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups heavy cream
• ½ vanilla bean, split
• 4 egg yolks
• Caramelized Topping
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon dark-brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350o F. Bake sweet potatoes, with the skin on, for about 45 minutes, or until soft. Reduce oven to 325° F.

Cool potato slightly and peel. Place sweet potato in bowl of electric mixer. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and the vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Divide mixture evenly among six 4-ounce ovenproof ramekins--single-serving ceramic or glass dishes--spreading sweet potato in the bottoms. Layer should be about ¼ inch deep. Set aside.

Heat cream, remaining sugar and vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium-low heat until hot. Do not boil. Let cool slightly, then quickly whisk in egg yolks. Remove vanilla bean. Ladle cream mixture into each dish over sweet potato. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and refrigerate until chilled through.

For the topping, stir together white and dark-brown sugars. Sprinkle over top of each chilled dessert, covering surface completely with a thin layer. Place under broiler for 30 seconds or until sugar has just melted. Watch closely to prevent the sugars from burning. Remove from oven and let cool until the sugar topping has hardened.

Serves 6

Ms. Ancrum interviews chefs, authors and other food professionals on her Internet-radio program, "Join Us at the Table," at www.joinusatthetable.com, and is a popular food writer and speaker.

U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish Cooks up Healthy Weeknights - (NewsUSA) Posted: 7/29/2010

Take On The Heat This Summer With A Cool Craft Beer Samuel Adams Offers Grill Side Tips For Chilling Out This Season - (NAPSI) Posted: 7/21/2010

Keeping It Light - (NAPSI) Posted: 7/21/2010

A Winning Recipe: A Decadent, Easy Dessert Bar - (NAPSI) Posted: 7/21/2010

Cool Ways To Treat Family And Friends - (NAPSI) Posted: 7/21/2010

Avocados: A Baker's Secret Ingredient - (NAPSI) Posted: 7/21/2010

Power Up Your Pasta Dishes - (NAPSI) Posted: 7/21/2010

No-Bake Cheesecake In Nearly No Time - (NAPSI) Posted: 7/21/2010

100 Hummus Inspirations - (NAPSI) Posted: 7/21/2010

A Better-For-You BBQ With Three Simple Switches - (NAPSI) Posted: 7/21/2010

Fill Dough For Your Dears - (NAPSI) Posted: 7/14/2010

Put A Smooth Spin On The Traditional Cocktail Party - (NAPSI) Posted: 6/24/2010

Master The Grill With Bold Taste - (NAPSI) Posted: 6/24/2010

A Crowd-Pleasing Puff Pastry Recipe - (NAPSI) Posted: 6/21/2010

How To Grill The Perfect Swordfish - (NAPSI) Posted: 6/21/2010

Nutritious And Quick Meals Made Easy With Fresh California Avocados - (NAPSI) Posted: 6/21/2010

Potluck Becomes Popular Entertainment Trend - (NAPSI) Posted: 6/21/2010

A Toast To The Coast - (NAPSI) Posted: 6/21/2010

Just A Bite Of Dessert? Make It With Blueberries! - (NAPSA) Posted: 6/21/2010

Build Better Burgers With Versatile Avocados - (NAPSI) Posted: 6/10/2010

Dress Up Everyday Meals With Crunchy Fun - Crips Onion Goat Cheese Salad - (NAPSA) Posted: 6/10/2010

Treat Yourself To A Healthy Breakfast - Hearty Breakfast Pitas - (NAPSA) Posted: 6/10/2010

Healthy Tips For Growing Families - Fruit & Veggie Frozen Pops - (NAPSA) Posted: 6/10/2010

Build Healthier FamiliesWith A Dairy-Rich Diet - Protein-Rich Strawberry-Banana Smoothie - (NAPSA) Posted: 6/10/2010

Calcium Beyond the Milk Mustache - Wonder Fat-Free Turkey and Swiss Sandwich - (NewsUSA) Posted: 5/3/2010

Heart-Smart Cooking for the Holidays - Baked Acorn Squash With Cranberry-Orange Sauce - (NAPSA) Posted: 4/17/2010

Turkey Tps that Save Time and Money - Chef's Choice Brine - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Spice Up Your Holiday Baking - Maple Nut Rolls & Ginger Cookies - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

This Season, Say It With Cupcakes - Ornament Cupcakes - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Holiday Entertaining - Baked Brie With Cherries And Nuts - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Rice Adds Delicious Flair To Holiday Meals - Royal Pecan Rice Bake and Creamy Cranberry Rice Pudding - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Pumpkin Or Sweet Potato? Tips And Topping To Make The Best Pie - Sweet Potato Pie With Fig And Pecan Topping - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Simple Secrets For Entertaining The Holiday Houseful - Ham and Swiss Hash Brown Bake - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Spicing Up Holiday Parties - Tomato-Mango Salsa & Mistletoe Margarita - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Tips For Throwing A Cookie Swap - Cherry Macadamia Oatmeal Cookies - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Celebrate Popcorn Poppin' Month With Fun Facts And Recipes - Candy Corn Popcorn Balls - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Holiday Helpers Key To Easier Entertaining - Herb-Baked Salmon On Bed Of Asparagus - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Quick And Budget-Friendly Party Tips - Frank's® Redhot® Buffalo Chicken Dip - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Chef's Tip: Better Baking with Parchment Paper - Tropical Meringue Dessert Squares - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

A Home-Baked "Thank You" From The Heart - Decorating Fun Sugar Cookies - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Bake A Batch For The Cause - Pink Ribbon Sugar Cookies - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Any Reason, Any Season - Cherry Chocolate Pie / French Apple and Cheese Panini - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Tips On Tailgating At Home And Away - Saucy Foil Packet Barbecue Ribs - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Making Cooking Easy, Efficient And Elegant - Basque Chicken - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Get Inspired To Break Out Of The Same Mealtime Routine - Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Rice - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Eat Healthfully on a Budget - 10-Minute Veggie Soup - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Pop Mangos Into Your Favorite Seasonal Dish - Mango and Ham Popovers - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Heartwarming Home Cooking - American Lamb Stew With Mashed Potato Crust - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Dessert Favorites - Blueberry Cobbler à la Mode - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Celebrate The Flavors Of Mexico - With Chicken Verde Tacos - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Mediterranean Diet: A Delicious, Heart-Healthy Plan - Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Wrap - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Living Gluten-Free Tastes Better Than Ever - Gluten-Free Cinnamon & Sausage French Toast Bake Makes 8 servings - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Stealth Nutrition: Building Positive Eating Habits - Chicken Wrap With California Dried Plums and Apples - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Quick Ways To Slim Down - Spring Vegetable Rice Salad - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

The Sandwich Swap "n" Share Program Brings The Tradition Of Sandwich Swapping Online To Benefit Feeding America - Keep You Running Sandwich - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Louisiana's "King Of American Seafood" Grills It Up - Creole Seafood Mixed Grill - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Slow Cooking: The Solution For Fast-Paced Family Schedules - Slow Cooker Chunky Beef Vegetable Soup - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010

Barbecued Salmon - Barbecued Southeast Alaskan Salmon Courtesy of Gustavus Inn, Glacier Bay, Alaska - (NAPSNET) Posted: 4/17/2010