Sweet Potato and Banana Squares

What to do if you have run out of pumpkin?
Reach for the sweet potato of course! This combination of flavours (sweet potato and banana) is something I had heard mentioned briefly on Barefoot Contessa who was baking with pumpkin instead.
I decided to have a look online and there were more pumpkin and banana flavor combos out there, rather than with sweet potato. But, heyho, give it a go! (I just boiled three chopped sweet potatoes until soft and mashed them within an inch of their life to get a good consistency for this recipe.)
This no-bake treat is like a slice of pie, in a way, with a lovely sweet mousse-like filling.

Instead of the traditional pie, I decided to make these into little squares so everyone got a piece they could pick up with their hands.
For the base, instead of a regular digestive biscuit/graham cracker crust, I used Biscoff instead to add another dimension of flavor which worked really well.

To top things off, I went down a bit of a retro route and spread on some 'Dream Topping'. It holds it's shape and lasts longer than fresh cream would on top. But you could always add whipped cream instead.
Lastly, for a bit of tropical(ness) I sprinkled on some toasted coconut which complemented all the flavours well.

My taste-testers (i.e. work colleagues) decided that they tasted somewhere in between a banoffee pie and carrot cake. Not bad at all, I’m sure you will agree.
Here’s how I made it (there are quite a few steps, so please be patient!)
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Sweet Potato and Banana Squares by Stuart Vettese November-17-2014Cross between carrot cake and banoffee pie!
Adapted from Oprah.comIngredients

• 250 grams Biscoff type biscuits
• 125 grams unsalted butter
• 425 grams sweet potato, mashed
• 125ml milk
• 200 grams light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons powdered gelatine
• 1 medium ripe banana, mashed
• 125 ml double cream
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 pkg Dream Topping, prepared (or 250ml Double Cream)
• 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut

Instructions Line a 9”x9” square tin with foil. Crush the biscuits in a food processor until they are a fine crumb. Melt the butter in a saucepan then combine with the crushed biscuit. Transfer to the tin and cover the bottom, pressing down firmly. Place in fridge to firm, at least 2 hours. In a bowl, over a simmering pan of water, combine the milk, sweet potato, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and the nutmeg. Stir for 5 minutes until hot. Whisk the egg yolks together in another bowl and add a small amount of the sweet potato mix, to warm it up. Add the warmed egg yolks to the rest of the sweet potato mix, over the simmering water, and continue to stir for about 5 minutes until the mix is thickened. Add the gelatine to 4 tablespoons of cold water and let soften for about 5 minutes. Then add the gelatine and the mashed banana to the sweet potato mix. Combine until smooth. Allow to cool. Whisk the double cream and add the 2 tablespoons of sugar when soft peaks are formed. Keep beating until stiff peaks are reached. Fold the cream into the sweet potato mix. Pour the sweet potato mix over the child biscuit base and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight. To finish add the prepared dream topping, or whipped double cream to the top and smooth with an off-set spatula. Toast the coconut in a small frying pan until lightly golden and sprinkle over the top. Allow to chill another hour and then slice into squares. Enjoy! DetailsPrep time: 1 hourCook time: 5 hours(min) Total time: 6 hours Yield: 25 squares approx.