Contest DESSERT: PAPAYA, COCONUT AND SWEET YAM PUDDING

PAPAYA, COCONUT AND SWEET YAM PUDDING
By BumbleBeeBoogie

The Caribbean sweet yam has yellow flesh, rather than the white flesh of the starchy U.S. yam. Northern sweet potatoes may be substituted if you can't find Caribbean yams.

3/4 cup half-and-half (half whole milk, half cream)
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup grated, raw sweet yam or nothern sweet potatoes (slightly under 1/2 pound)
1/4 cup mashed ripe papaya (approximately 1/4 of a 6-inch papaya)
1 large egg
4 to 5 tablespoons light-brown granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon essence (see note below*) or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
4 tablespoons grated coconut in heavy syrup
whipped cream (optional) sweetened with 1 teaspoon granulated brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. and butter a 6-inch souffle dish.

Heat the half-and-half and butter in a stainless steel saucepan and add the grated yam. Cook until the yam is heated through. Add the mashed papaya and stir the mixture. Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg in a small bowl. Beat in the sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, essence or vanilla extract, lemon zest, and coconut extract. Stir into the half-and-half mixture, then add the grated coconut in its syrup.

Pour the pudding mixture into the buttered souffle dish and put the dish into the oven on the center shelf. Bake for 1-3/4 to 2 hours or until a knife blade inserted in the center of the pudding comes out clean.

Remove the dish from the oven to a baking rack to cool. Serve the pudding warm or cold. Top with the optional sweetened whipped cream. Serves 4.

*Note: Make the essence with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and 1/4 teaspoon anise extract, if bottled essence is unavailable.