sweet potato souffle

Sweater weather is finally here and despite the multiple layering it's still freezing in my house. I don't understand how the rooms in my house can be colder than our refrigerator. I'm not even joking, I actually compared. Being in the kitchen warms me up--I don't just mean the stove and the oven--and makes things livelier and happier in a way.

A recurring Fall ingredient seems to be sweet potatoes rather than pumpkins for me. Sweet potatoes are almost a staple part of my diet and we have way too many in our house, so it makes for a great many chances to cook and bake with :) I kind of improvised this recipe, but it came out a lot better than I expected! The souffle is soft and has the melt-in-your-mouth smoothness, though I probably will revise the recipe and spice it up a little more later on. I've never had a souffle at a restaurant or from a bakery, so I'm not exactly sure what a really good souffle should taste like. But I'm doing my reading and research so I'll hone my souffle-making skills soon enough :) 


Sweet Potato Souffle

yields 4 ramekins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup egg whites
1/2 cup sweet potato puree (I peeled, chopped, then steamed two medium sweet potatoes and mashed them up until the puree was about half a cup)
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp brown sugar (if you like it sweeter, change that to 3 or 4 tsp)
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
dash of salt
1 tbs Trader Joe's Spiced Cider (optional)

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350° F and lightly grease four ramekins. 
- Using a handheld electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until frothy, then add in the cream of tartar and salt and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form. You can check by holding the bowl of egg whites over your head. The egg whites should not slosh around and should be firm.
- In another small bowl, add the ground cinnamon and brown sugar to the sweet potato puree and combine. Add the tablespoon of spiced cider and mix (this is optional). 
- Take 1/4 of the egg whites and add it to the sweet potato mixture. Mix the egg whites with the sweet potato until combined. 
- Add the sweet potato mixture to the egg whites one tablespoon at a time and gently fold with a rubber spatula until the mixture is well incorporated. Be careful when folding as you don't want to deflate the egg whites. 
- Scoop the mixture into the ramekins until they are all filled. Put the ramekins on a baking sheet then bake for for about 18-20 minutes until the tops are a slightly darker orange color. Remove and serve! You can also combine cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle it over the souffle if desired.