Sweet Potato Pone

Imagine if sweet potato pie shed its crust and took a trip to the tropics and you might end up with something like this sweet potato pone. Prized for its versatility, pone is a Caribbean staple typically made with grated yuca (cassava) and can be either sweet or savory. In this version grated sweet potatoes replace the yuca and mingle with a triple coconut threat (oil, flakes, and milk), plus a dynamic mix of aromatics from rum to citrus and warm spices. The result is a dessert capable of dethroning even the most beloved of holiday desserts, especially when served with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream. While a traditional yuca pone is denser and often served in cake-like slices, this one is more scoopable, almost like a pudding. Finely grating the sweet potatoes by hand does require some elbow grease, but the results make it well worth it. —Brigid Washington