2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced thick 

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon to grease the pan 1 vanilla bean, split 

2 allspice berries 

1 cinnamon stick 

1 piece star anise 

1 orange, quartered 

1 banana, peeled and sliced 

3 tablespoons maple syrup 

½ cup heavy cream 

1 10 oz bag of mini marshmallows, for topping 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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1. Cook the sweet potatoes in salted boiling water until very soft, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, then cover and keep warm.
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2. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter.  3. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the vanilla bean, allspice, cinnamon, and star anise. Toast the spices, stirring occasionally, until they are fragrant, about 3 minutes.
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3. Add the orange quarters and banana slices, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook, turning the ingredients regularly, until they brown slightly, about 2 minutes per side. Add the maple syrup to the skillet, lower the heat to a simmer, cover the skillet, remove from the heat, and set aside to allow the flavors to meld for about 30 minutes.
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4. Squeeze the juice from the orange quarters into the syrup mixture and discard the peels. Remove and discard the spices and vanilla bean carefully, ensuring not to lose any syrup. Puree the cooked sweet potatoes in a food processor, slowly adding the cream and the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter. Add the banana mixture and puree until fully incorporated. Add the egg and puree again until incorporated.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  
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5. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with marshmallows. Bake until  the marshmallows are golden and toasted, about 20 minutes.

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