Spiced Sweet Potato Souffle Pudding

Serves 8 to 12.

Topping:

1/2 cup coarsely chopped blanched slivered almonds

10 amaretti cookies, crumbled (5 packages of 2)

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

Pudding:

4 medium reddish-brown sweet potatoes (yams), about 2 pounds, to make 4 cups puree

1/2 cup half-and-half

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons orange marmalade

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons finely chopped orange zest

4 large egg yolks

5 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1. For the topping, preheat the oven to 350 F and toast the almonds on a baking sheet for 7 to 10 minutes or until brown. Combine the toasted almonds with the cookie crumbs and brown sugar. Set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Wrap each sweet potato in foil, place on a cookie sheet, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until very soft. Turn the oven temperature down to 350 F (or turn the oven off if you're preparing this ahead). Cool and spoon the pulp into a medium mixing bowl, measuring out 4 cups. Add the half-and-half, melted butter, orange juice, brown sugar, marmalade, all of the spices and the orange zest, and mix with an electric mixer on low speed. Slowly add the egg yolks, incorporating one at a time.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy and then add the salt and cream of tartar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold them into the potato mixture carefully, making sure no streaks remain. Spoon the mixture into a greased deep 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the topping mixture over the potato mixture evenly. Dot with cut-up butter.

4. Bake the pudding in a 350 F oven for 1 1/4 hours. When puffed and browned, remove it from the oven and serve immediately.

(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including "Seriously Simple Parties," and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)