Sweetpotato Flan

Preheat oven to 425F

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Cut two or three (depending on size) North Carolina Sweetpotatoes in half and place on baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, then flip potatoes over and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until soft.

Allow sweetpotatoes to cool completely before removing the skin. Place flesh of roasted sweetpotatoes in a bowl and mash into a puree. Set to the side.

Pour sugar into a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium high heat. Swirl sugar in pan to break up any sugar clumps. Once the sugar is melting, reduce heat to medium low and cook swirling occasionally until all sugar turns a copper color. It will take about 10 minutes for the sugar to become caramel.

Pour caramel into a 9 inch baking pan. Quickly swirl baking pan to coat entire bottom and sides with caramel. Set to the side to cool and harden.

Add 1 ¼ cup sweetpotato puree into a blender with eggs, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, orange extract, cream cheese, and vanilla bean sugar. Blend on high for 1 minute or until smooth.

Pour sweetpotato mixture into pan over cooled caramel. Cover entire top of pan with a piece of aluminum foil.

Place covered pan in a large baking dish. Fill baking dish with 1 inch boiling hot water.

Bake at 350F for an hour and 20 minutes or until the center is no longer jiggly.

Remove baking dish from oven. Allow flan to rest in baking dish for 2 hours to cool.

Remove aluminum foil from pan, and run a small knife along the edge of the pan to loosen flan from pan.

Place in the fridge overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours.

Place a plate on top of pan, then flip to invert flan onto the plate. Gently lift up pan and allow all caramel to drip out onto the flan.