Nothing says Hawaiian dessert fusion like the combination of Okinawan Sweet Potato with traditional Haupia dessert squares! Enjoy this super easy recipe to satisfy your craving! 

Okinawan Sweet Potato

• 2 cups Okinawan sweet potato
• 1 stick unsalted butter 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup half and half 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Haupia

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
• 24 ounce can canned coconut milk

Shortbread Crust

• 1/8 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

Instructions
Shortbread

1. Mix sugar and flour. Add the butter (and mac nuts if you'd like to add texture) then mix well. Place onto a greased pan.  Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.

Okinawan Sweet Potato Filling

1. Peel then boil the sweet potatoes then mix and allow to cool.
2. Add cream butter and sugar, the eggs then mix in the sweet potatoes. Add onto crust and bake at 350F for 35 minutes.

Haupia

1. Add the sugar and cornstarch then the water and stir. Heat the coconut milk then add in the sugar/cornstarch/water mixture, stirring until milk mixture starts to thicken. Then add on top of the sweet potato which is on top of the crust. 

You may have seen your impressive sushi cakes online... A recent addition to the Ohana Hale Marketplace, makes Bakudan Poke a great find for superb poke, eclectic ingredients and bold flavors. Apparently they have been around for a minute, with a food truck and then in Manpunapuna... but now you can get a hold of these specialty seafood items in Honolulu. 

The poke is far from boring and packed full of flavor. The tender morsels of sashimi grade delicate fish are enhanced with a menagerie of toppings including tobiko, pickled garlic, soy, sesame and so much more. Their poke bowls can also be made into salads and are served over a beautiful bed of mixed greens. They are also famous for their crab salad and taegu which comes as the topping or garnish for a lot of items. 

They seem to blend flavors here, mainly Japanese and Korean and add local twists. The portions are hefty, the service is very engaging, friendly and when asked about modifications they were eager to please. I would highly recommend trying this new poke spot in town as I can feel their popularity growing and on the precipice of blowing up major. 

The garlic poke was phenomenal and their Baku Bombs were also a great treat that left enough to take home, share and eat later. The Bakudan Bombs are inari sushi, topped with creamy crab salad, cucumber, tobiko, unagi sauce and etc. They also offer different types of fresh fish based on availability and you can try spicy, limu, tako, and whatever else is the special. 

Overall this was an outstanding experience and my mouth is watering just writing this. 
​