Makes 4

2 cups cooked sweet potatoes

1 pound frozen puff pastry sheets, defrosted

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups whipped cream, sweetened with vanilla

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Caramel:

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup bourbon

Steps

1. Place cooked sweet potatoes into the food processor, and process them until very smooth. The mixture should be somewhat stiff and not too wet. You may need to ring it out through a kitchen towel if there is a lot of moisture.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the puff pastry sheets into 16 rectangles. Brush each sheet with beaten egg, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake until crisp and golden brown, about 15-18 minutes. Let cool.

3. To assemble each Napoleon: Spread an even layer of sweet potato purée on 2 sheets of pastry. Cover a third sheet with whipped cream. Place a sweet potato-topped pastry on a dessert plate, stack a whipped cream pastry on top, then another sweet potato pastry, and finally a plain pastry.

4. Combine the powdered sugar and spices, then shake over the top sheet of pastry using a fine sieve.

5. Make the caramel by melting the sugar evenly in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Let the sugar cook to a golden-brown color. Carefully add the butter and cream, stirring with a rubber spatula. Stir in the bourbon while the mixture is still warm. Cool to room temperature, and serve with the Napoleons.

— Chef Jason Berthold, RN74 of San Francisco