Maple Cream Sweet Potato Soup with Cheddar Cinnamon Sugar Twists
Maple Cream Sweet Potato Soup with Cheddar Cinnamon Sugar Twists
Maple Cream Sweet Potato Soup with Cheddar Cinnamon Sugar Twists
- 3-4 medium sweet potatoes (i used 3 medium)
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 cinnamon sticks or 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or veggie broth
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 pinch cayenne (to your taste)
- salt + pepper to your taste
- 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
- 1 cup heavy cream or full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded (optional)
- 2 tablespoons butter (or coconut oil)
- cheddar cinnamon sugar twist:
- 1 package frozen puff pastry thawed
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese finely shredded
- Carbohydrate 33.4753545001543 g
- Cholesterol 108.942187519621 mg
- Fat 42.5440413824126 g
- Fiber 1.05877998104749 g
- Protein 13.9375303751114 g
- Saturated Fat 25.0365794396908 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (203g)
- Sodium 481.337580052622 mg
- Sugar 32.4165745191068 g
- Trans Fat 2.84210797052184 g
- Calories 579 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes and bake for 1 hour or until soft and tender. When the sweet potatoes are cooked, slice them in half and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, add the maple syrup and cinnamon to a large soup pot, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer, simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the maple has thickened and reduced to a syrup. Be careful not to let it get too thick, you just want it to thicken to a honey consistency.
- Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel away the skins and add the orange flesh to the bowl of a food processor or high powered blender. Add 1 cup of broth and puree until smooth. Slowly stir the sweet potato mixture into the thickened maple syrup. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups broth, the apple cider, thyme, nutmeg, cayenne and a pinch of salt + pepper. Cook over medium heat until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Stir in the bourbon (if using) and cream. Continue to cook another 5 minutes minutes and then add the cheese + butter, cook until the cheese is melted and the soup is silky smooth. If the soup seems too thick, add more broth to thin. Keep over low heat until ready to serve.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add sugar and cinnamon to small bowl and mix to combine.
- Open one sheet of puff pastry on cutting board. Brush surface lightly with the melted butter. Sprinkle surface generously with cinnamon sugar, leaving some for sprinkling on just before baking.
- Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese to evenly cover entire surface. Use your hands and press cheese into puff pastry to adhere. Cut puff pastry into long 1/2-inch-wide strips. Gently twist each strip several times. Repeat with remaining puff pastry strips and bacon until everything has been used. Place finished twists on prepared baking sheets. Brush twist with melted butter and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. Bake 12-15 minutes or until puff pastry is golden. Be careful not to over bake. Serve with the warm soup.
Whole sweet potatoes require a full hour at 400 degrees Fahrenheit to gelatinize their internal starches and caramelize their natural sugars before they ever meet a blender blade. Maple syrup undergoes a critical structural transformation when reduced down to a honey-like consistency over heat, driving off excess water content so that subsequent additions of liquid like apple cider and broth will not break the final viscosity. Understanding how to manipulate these proportions allows home cooks to multiply batches reliably without risking a watery pot.
- When multiplying the yield past four servings, scale the heavy cream and butter proportionally while keeping the bourbon ratio slightly conservative, because alcohol concentrates more intensely in large liquid volumes.
- Puree the baked sweet potato flesh with only one cup of initial broth inside a food processor to ensure complete mechanical breakdown of fibrous strands before combining the purée with the larger pot of simmering liquids.
- Puff pastry relies on distinct layers of trapped water turning to steam at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, so pressing the shredded cheddar firmly into the buttered dough prevents the cheese weight from collapsing the rise.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight glass container for up to four days, but keep the baked cheddar cinnamon sugar twists in a separate paper-lined container at room temperature to preserve their crisp exterior.
Butter fats and dairy proteins require gentle heat control during the final incorporation stage to prevent separation into an oily slick. Monitoring the fluid reduction accurately guarantees the velvety mouthfeel that defines this dish.
