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1
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
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2
Prepare the caramel: In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and water.
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3
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.
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4
Pour into one large (10-cup) souffle dish or round casserole, and tilt to evenly coat the bottom and slightly up the sides.
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5
Set aside.
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6
Prepare the custard: In the bowl of a food processor, process the potatoes.
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7
With the machine running, add 1 cup of the half-and-half, and process until smooth.
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8
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.
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9
In another large bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolks until frothy.
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10
Strain the eggs into the wet ingredients and mix well.
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11
Add the sweet potato mixture, whisk well, then transfer to the prepared pan.
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12
Place the dish in a large baking pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dish.
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13
Bake for 2 hours, or until the custard is mostly set but the center is still slightly wobbly.
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14
Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.
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15
Refrigerate until very cold, at least 6 hours, or overnight.
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16
To unmold, run a thin knife around the sides of the custard and invert onto a serving dish.
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17
Place Chocolate Spider's Web on top of flan, and present at tableside.
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18
Cut into wedges and serve as desired.
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19
Place a 10-inch square of parchment paper or waxed paper on a baking sheet.
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20
With a black marker, draw a spider's web that will fit on top of the Sweet Potato Flan.
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21
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.
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22
Furl a piece of parchment or waxed paper to make a tight cone.
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23
Transfer the melted chocolate to the cone and cut off the bottom tip.
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24
Pipe the chocolate onto the parchment paper, tracing the spider's web.
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25
Place the baking sheet with the design in the refrigerator or freezer until firm.
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26
To serve, gently peel back the paper and transfer the chocolate web to the top of the Sweet Potato Flan.
