Sweet Potato Balls with Castella Snow
Festive Sweet Potato Balls for Your Christmas Feast
Introducing delightful sweet potato balls, generously coated in fluffy Castella crumbs, resembling a soft snowfall – a perfect, festive treat for Christmas. These are easy to make and wonderful to create with children.
For the Sweet Potato Balls- 300g steamed sweet potato (warm)
- 50g Castella cake
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream (milk can be substituted)
- 1 Tbsp honey
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
The time to steam the sweet potatoes is not included in the recipe preparation time; please have your steamed sweet potatoes ready in advance. Also, prepare the Castella cake and pine nuts. If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use milk instead. If using milk, add it gradually to achieve the desired consistency.
Step 2
While the steamed sweet potatoes are still warm, place them in a bowl and mash them thoroughly with a fork or potato masher until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of honey, then mix well until the ingredients are fully incorporated into the sweet potato mash. You can adjust the amount of honey based on the sweetness of your sweet potatoes.
Step 3
Carefully trim off the darker, crusty outer parts of the Castella cake. You’ll want to use only the soft, inner portion for coating the sweet potato balls. This step is key to achieving that beautiful, fluffy ‘snow’ effect.
Step 4
Place the prepared soft Castella cake into a fine-mesh sieve. Gently rub it through the sieve with your fingers or a spoon to create fine breadcrumbs. Ensuring a consistent, powdery texture will help the Castella adhere evenly to the sweet potato balls.
Step 5
Take portions of the sweet potato mixture, about the size of a tablespoon, and roll them into bite-sized balls (approximately 2-3 cm in diameter). Press a few pine nuts (3-5 per ball) into the center of each ball before shaping to add a delightful crunch and nutty flavor. You can omit the pine nuts if preferred.
Step 6
Continue shaping the sweet potato mixture into uniform, round balls, ensuring the pine nuts are enclosed inside. Feel free to get creative with shapes, perhaps making them smaller for a delicate bite or even trying fun character shapes for the kids.
Step 7
Gently roll each formed sweet potato ball in the prepared Castella breadcrumbs, ensuring an even coating on all sides. Lightly tap off any excess crumbs to create a soft, snowy appearance, much like freshly fallen snow.
Step 8
Your elegant Sweet Potato Balls with Castella Snow are now complete! Enjoy the delightful combination of sweet potato and soft Castella, perfect as a festive Christmas dessert or a lovely afternoon treat.
