sweet potato creme brulee

This is an elegant alternative to pumpkin pie!

Sweet Potato Creme Brulee
8 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, baked, peeled, and pureed
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 quarts heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split in half
16 large egg yolks

Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the pureed sweet potatoes, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the lemon juice until combined. Butter 8 8-ounce custard cups or ramekins. Spoon 2 to 3 tablepoons of the sweet potato mixture into each cup to form a 1/4-inch layer.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, vanilla bean, and 3/4 cup of the remaining sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and another 3/4 cup sugar. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Return the saucepan to the stove and cook on low heat for 3 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.

Fill the custard cups with enough of the cream mixture so they are about seven-eighths full. Place the filled cups in a baking pan that is large enough to hold them all. Add enough hot water to come within 1 inch of the top of the cups. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the custards are barely set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out a little wet. Remove the custards from the baking pan and place them in the refrigerator. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the broiler. Lightly sprinkle the surface of each custard with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining sugar. Place the custards under the broiler for about 30 to 60 seconds and let them brown. Keep an eye on the custards, as this happens quickly.

Remove the custards from the heat, and once the sugar has hardened (1 to 2 minutes), serve the creme brulee.

Recipe courtesy of The New, Low-Country Cooking 

Ciao! fabiana

a fun and easy fall tablescape

Use clear glass dinner plates to showcase your pretty table linens. These are pretty dishtowels that can be used as Thanksgiving napkins.

ciao! fabiana

rooms that feel like autumn

Fall....it’s that time of year again!

Cozy,

comfy, 

rooms that make you just want to hang out!

images  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5 

ciao! fabiana 

easy to transform gold pumpkins

 These little pumpkins and gourds were only $1 and can

easily be transformed with a little gold spray paint!

(purchased at the Dollar Tree)

Here's how I used them at my own table...

These little gold pumpkins can now be incorporated into a fall, Halloween or Thanksgiving tablescape.  At my table, I added orange napkins and neutral accessories to create a soft palette.  These look great on the mantle too!     

 Knotted napkins make it fun and casual.

 Each guest gets their own unique golden pumpkin to keep!

 I chose burlap runners and a knarled olive branch for texture. 

 Bamboo cutlery adds more texture and a hint spookiness.

 Owls and a few white ceramic pumpkins round off the look.

ciao! fabiana

jerusalem artichokes

When my mother comes to visit, she always comes with something yummy to cook up and oftentimes, she brings something new to try. So, what happens when she comes over after a trip to the health food store with an abundant amount of Jerusalem Artichokes? 

Well, we cooked some up, but since they are roots, I planted the rest in my garden. A few months later, I have a beautiful crop of small sunflowers. 

I will dig up the chokes as soon as they are ready, so right now I am enjoying these pretty little flowers.

Jerusalem artichokes (a.k.a. sunchokes) are so easy to grow!  They have a delicate, artichokey flavor that is easily incorporated into recipes. They really don’t have anything to do with artichokes. 

The name came about from “girasole”, the Italian word for sunflowers, because the plants look like small sunflowers.

The word “girasole” somehow became “Jersualem” to English speaking people, and then “artichoke” was added to account for the similarity of flavor.  Here’s one of our favorite recipes:

Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes 

1 pound Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes)

½  cup olive oil

1 tablespoons fresh thyme 

2 cloves minced garlic

sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Scrub Jerusalem artichoke tubers and cut out eyes. Cut tubers into 1-inch pieces.

Mix olive oil, thyme, garlic, and sea salt together in a large bowl; add Jerusalem artichoke pieces and toss to coat. Arrange coated pieces in one evenly-spaced layer on a baking sheet.

Roast in the preheated oven until Jerusalem artichokes are tender, 35 to 45 minutes.

ciao! fabiana