Sweet Potato Pone

Name: Sweet Potato Pone
Ingredients: 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, divided; 1 cup (packed; 200 g) dark brown sugar; 2 Tbsp. solid virgin coconut oil; 1 large egg, room temperature; Zest and juice of 1 large lime; Zest of 1 orange; 1 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated; ½ tsp. ground cinnamon; ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg; ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt; 2 large or 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1½ lb.) peeled, finely grated on a box grater (6–7 cups); ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk; 1 Tbsp. dark rum; ½ tsp. Angostura bitters; ½ tsp. vanilla extract; 1 cup (60 g) unsweetened coconut flakes, divided; 2 pints vanilla ice cream (optional)

By Brigid Washington

November 23, 2021

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Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Cyd McDowell. Food Styling by Paige Hicks

Imagine if sweet potato pie shed its crust and took a trip to the tropics and you might end up with something like this sweet potato pone. Prized for its versatility, pone is a Caribbean staple typically made with grated yuca (cassava) and can be either sweet or savory. In this version grated sweet potatoes replace the yuca and mingle with a triple coconut threat (oil, flakes, and milk), plus a dynamic mix of aromatics from rum to citrus and warm spices. The result is a dessert capable of dethroning even the most beloved of holiday desserts, especially when served with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream. While a traditional yuca pone is denser and often served in cake-like slices, this one is more scoopable, almost like a pudding. Finely grating the sweet potatoes by hand does require some elbow grease, but the results make it well worth it. —Brigid Washington

What you’ll need

Stand Mixer
$400 $259 At Amazon
Microplane Grater
$18 At Amazon
OXO Good Grips Small Citrus Juicer
$15 $7 At Amazon
Cast Iron Skillet
$40 At Amazon

Recipe notes

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