By Week before Thanksgiving and the daycare is officially in turkey-drawing season. I have now traced approximately fifteen hundred toddler hands in five years of Novembers and I will trace more and I am at peace with this.
I spent the weekend cooking ahead: mac and cheese assembled and waiting, sweet potato pie filling made and in jars to be poured into their shells Thursday morning, the pimento cheese made and resting in the fridge. I made the pecan pie batter on Saturday and baked it Saturday evening and it came out perfect, dark and rich and glossy, and I smelled it on Sunday morning from the bedroom and felt extremely good about Thursday.
Tyler came over Saturday and helped in the ways he helps: he is not a cook in the making-things sense but he is an excellent sous chef in the sense of fetching things from the high shelf and washing dishes without being asked and keeping the kitchen radio on the right station. He also tasted everything and gave unvarnished assessments, which is the most useful thing a kitchen companion can do.
I called Debbie to confirm that my pimento cheese was close to right. I described what I had done. She said you added a little Worcestershire, did you not. I said yes. She said: that is the right call. Good instinct. That is Debbie Clarke's approval of my instinct as a cook and I am going to put that in my pocket and keep it.
With the sweet potato pie filling already jarred and waiting in the fridge, I had sweet potatoes on the brain all weekend — and this mousse became the cook’s reward, the thing I made for myself and Tyler while the pecan pie cooled on the rack. It pulls from the same warm flavors as the pie but comes together in minutes, no shell required, and Debbie’s voice in my head saying “good instinct” made me feel like I could absolutely pull it off. Consider this the dessert you make when you’ve already done the hard work and you deserve something silky and dark and just a little indulgent.
Sweet Potato Chocolate Mousse
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 30 min + 2 hr chilling | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato (from 1 medium roasted or boiled sweet potato)
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (60% cacao or higher)
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- Whipped cream and shaved chocolate, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate. Place dark chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir gently until fully melted and smooth, then remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Blend the base. In a blender or food processor, combine the mashed sweet potato, melted chocolate, cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Blend on high until completely smooth and glossy, scraping down the sides as needed. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Whip the cream. In a separate chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream and powdered sugar with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 3–4 minutes.
- Fold together. Add one-third of the whipped cream to the sweet potato mixture and stir to loosen. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream in two additions, using a rubber spatula and a light hand to keep the mousse airy. Do not overmix.
- Chill. Divide the mousse evenly among 6 small glasses or ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Serve. Top each portion with a dollop of whipped cream and a pinch of shaved chocolate or a dusting of cocoa powder just before serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21g | Carbs: 29g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 115mg