Bermudians celebrating Guy Fawkes night, or Bonfire Night as it is also known, have traditionally enjoyed eating hunks of Sweet Potato Pudding as they watch the effigy of Fawkes being burned on a roaring fire. If the night is chilly, mugs of hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows floating on top — or perhaps something stronger, but equally warming — make a nice accompaniment. Toasting marshmallows on long sticks over the glowing embers is a fun way to end the evening.

Here are several versions of Sweet Potato Pudding, as featured in local cookbooks.

SWEET POTATO PUDDING<$>

[bul] 4 cups raw sweet potato, grated

[bul] [1/2] cup butter

[bul] 2 cups evaporated milk

[bul] 1 cup Karo syrup

[bul] 3 eggs

[bul] [1/2] cup sugar

[bul] 1 tsp nutmeg

[bul] 1 tsp cinnamon

[bul] [1/4] tsp cloves

[bul] 1 tsp salt

[bul] [1/2] cup raisins (optional)

Cream butter, sugar, spices. Add eggs and beat well. Add raisins, grated sweet potato, milk and syrup. Mix well. Bake in a greased baking pan for 2 hours at 325 degrees F. NB: <$>When a crust begins to form on the bottom of the pan and around the edges stir the pudding well, and allow it to continue baking. (The Bermuda Cook Book by Cecille Snaith-Simmons).

TRADITIONAL SWEET POTATO PUDDING

<$f"Wingdings-Regular">l 1 [2/3] cups flour

[bul] 1 [1/3] cups sugar

[bul] 1 tsp soda

[bul] [1/4] tsp baking powder

[bul] [1/2] tsp salt

[bul] [1/2] tsp each cinnamon, allspice, cloves

[bul] [1/2] cup margarine

[bul] 1 cup mashed, cooked sweet potato

[bul] 1 egg

Sift all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl Add margarine, sweet potato and water. Beat 2 minutess with electric mixer. Scrape sides of bowl. Add egg. Beat 2 minutes more.

Place batter in a greased, eight-inch square bake pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40 minutes.

Note: This recipe calls for more flour and less sweet potato, which eliminates the heavy, soggy texture found in the old time recipes. Optional additions: 1 cup chopped dates and [1/2] cup chopped nuts. (What’s Cooking in Bermuda by Betsy Ross).

MODERN SWEET POTATO PUDDING

<$f"Wingdings-Regular">l 2 1lb. 1 oz. tins sweet potato

[bul] 6 eggs

[bul] 1 lb. raisins

[bul] [1/2] cup flour

[bul] 1 [2/3] cups sugar

[bul] [1/3] cup sugar

[bul] 1 tsp salt

[bul] [1/2] cup melted butter

[bul] 2 tsp cinnamon

[bul] [1/2] tsp cloves

[bul] 1 tsp allspice

[bul] 2 tsp baking powder

[bul] [1/2] cup orange juice

Mash sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl. Separate egg yolks from whites. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar until thick. This is very important. Add to sweet potatoes. Coat raisins with flour and add to sweet potato mixture. Beat egg whites with [1/3] cup sugar to make a meringue. Fold in.

Bake in two slightly greased and floured pans (about 13 x 10). For glass pans bake at 325 degrees F. for 50-60 minutes. For metal pans bake at 350 degrees F. Note: <$>Recipe can be halved for smaller Guy Fawkes parties. (What’s Cooking in Bermuda by Betsy Ross)