Inspired by Marlon James's childhood kitchen
“Hell a top, hell a bottom, hallelujah in the middle.”
That's how Marlon James describes the traditional Jamaican way of making sweet potato pudding, a beloved dessert from his childhood in Kingston, Jamaica.
On this episode of Your Mama's Kitchen, Marlon takes Michele Norris back to his mother's kitchen, where old-fashioned cooking traditions lived alongside modern appliances. His mother preferred baking puddings over hot coals, placing charcoal beneath the pot and on top of its lid to create a wonderfully rich, moist dessert.
Made with sweet potatoes, coconut milk, warm spices and a little dark rum, this Jamaican classic is especially memorable for its soft, custardy top.
Marlon recommends using Japanese sweet potatoes, which bring a different texture to the pudding than the orange-fleshed sweet potatoes many Americans are accustomed to.
It's a little taste of Jamaica, and a delicious reminder of how the flavors and traditions of our childhood kitchens stay with us wherever life takes us.
Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding - Recipe courtesy of Sweet & Sorrel
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Ingredients3 pounds Jamaican sweet potatoes
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup fine cornmeal
2 (13.5-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
2 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons allspice
2 teaspoons nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins (optional)
3 tablespoons Jamaican rum (optional)
STEPS:
STEP 1Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan or a 10-inch square baking pan.
Step 2If using raisins, soak them in the rum while preparing the other ingredients.
Step 3Peel and grate the sweet potatoes. A food processor or blender can also be used with a little coconut milk.
Step 4Combine the potatoes, coconut milk, brown sugar, vanilla and spices. Reserve about ½ cup of the wet mixture for the custard topping.
Step 5Sift the flour and cornmeal together, then gradually incorporate the potato mixture. Fold in the raisins, if using.
Step 6Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 90 minutes.
Step 7Pour the reserved mixture over the pudding and bake for another 15–20 minutes, until the topping has set into a soft custard.
Step 8Allow the pudding to cool for at least an hour before slicing.
Adapted from Sweet & Sorrel's Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding.
Kitchen Crew Notes
A few tips from Marlon's kitchen:
Look for Japanese sweet potatoes, with their reddish-purple skin and pale flesh, for a texture closer to the sweet potatoes Marlon remembers from Jamaica.
Marlon prefers dark rum for that extra depth of flavor.
Don't skip the soft, custardy topping. It's part of what makes this traditional Jamaican dessert so special!
From the YMK Kitchen Crew: We're putting this Jamaican classic to the test in our own kitchens. Stay tuned for our tasting notes and tips!
