Ingredients

For the caramel:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
For the flan:
1 large sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), baked until tender then peeled
2 cups half-and-half
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons maple syrup

5 large eggs
2 egg yolks
Chocolate Spider's Web, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to
300 degrees F.

Prepare the caramel: In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Cook over low heat,
without stirring, until the syrup turns a medium amber, painting the sides of the pan with
a wet pastry brush as needed, about 5 minutes. Pour into one large (10-cup) souffle dish
or round casserole, and tilt to evenly coat the bottom and slightly up the sides. Set
aside.

Prepare the custard: In the bowl of a food processor, process the potatoes. With the
machine running, add 1 cup of the half-and-half, and process until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, the remaining 1-cup of half-and-half, the condensed
milk, 2/3 cup of water, the vanilla extract, and maple syrup, and mix well.

In another large bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolks until frothy. Strain the eggs into the
wet ingredients and mix well. Add the sweet potato mixture, whisk well, then transfer to
the prepared pan. Place the dish in a large baking pan and add enough hot water to come
halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake for 2 hours, or until the custard is mostly set but
the center is still slightly wobbly. Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to
cool.
Refrigerate until very cold, at least 6 hours, or overnight. To unmold, run a thin knife
around the sides of the custard and invert onto a serving dish. Place Chocolate Spider's
Web on top of flan, and present at tableside. Cut into wedges and serve as
desired.

Ingredients

Chocolate Spider's Web:
1/2 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions

Place a
10-inch square of parchment paper or waxed paper on a baking sheet. With a black marker,
draw a spider's web that will fit on top of the Sweet Potato Flan.

Place the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler, or in a metal bowl set over a pot

of simmering water, and melt, stirring until smooth. Furl a piece of parchment or waxed
paper to make a tight cone. Transfer the melted chocolate to the cone and cut off the
bottom tip. Pipe the chocolate onto the parchment paper, tracing the spider's web.

Place the baking sheet with the design in the refrigerator or freezer until firm.

To serve, gently peel back the paper and transfer the chocolate web to the top of the
Sweet Potato Flan.