Spiced sweet potato pie baked into a butter crust and topped with a pillow of toasted marshmallow meringue.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutesmins
Cook Time 50 minutesmins
Resting Time 3 hourshrs
Total Time 4 hourshrs20 minutesmins
Servings 8servings
Calories 393
Author Annalise Sandberg
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 ¼cupall-purpose flour(170 grams)
½teaspoonsalt
½cupunsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes (113 grams)
¼-⅓cupwater
For the filling:
2medium sweet potatoes , see Notes (1 lb, 455 grams)
2large eggs
⅓cuppacked light or dark brown sugar(66 grams)
¼teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonground nutmeg
½teaspoonground cinnamon
⅔cupwhole milk(175 ml)
1teaspoonvanilla extract
For the meringue:
1cupgranulated sugar(200 grams)
½cupwater(125 ml)
4large egg whites
½teaspooncream of tartar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
Instructions
To make the pie crust:
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and toss to coat. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until butter is the size of peas.
Sprinkle water over the mixture and use a spoon or spatula and then your hands to bring it together into a ball. Add more water if necessary.
Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
When ready, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a rough 12 inch circle. Transfer to a 8 or 9-inch pie dish, tuck the ends under and crimp as desired. Prick the bottom with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes.
To make the filling:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool, then peel and remove any dark spots.
In a food processor, puree the sweet potatoes. Add the eggs, brown sugar, salt, and nutmeg, cinnamon, milk and vanilla and mix until smooth. (This step can be made ahead)
To bake the pie:
Line the pie crust with a greased foil and fill with baking weights or dried beans. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, then remove the parchment and beans and bake for an additional 10 minutes until set but not browned.
Remove the pie from the oven and pour the sweet potato filling into the crust. Reduce oven temperature to 375 and bake until filling is set, about 40 minutes.
To make the meringue:
Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, swirling the pan as it heats up to dissolve the sugar completely. Once the sugar mixture boils, insert a candy thermometer. Do not stir. Heat to 240 degrees (soft ball stage).
While the sugar is cooking, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until they just begin to form soft peaks.
With the mixer on low, add the sugar syrup in a small steady stream into the egg whites. Once all the syrup has been added, increase mixer speed to high and beat meringue to stiff and glossy peaks, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Use a spatula to spread the meringue on top of the cooled pie, making sure the meringue goes all the way to the crust.
Toast meringue with a kitchen torch or in a 400°F oven for about 7-10 minutes. Watch it carefully to make sure it doesn't burn.
Let pie cool to room temperature for at least 1 hour before slicing. Store pie in the fridge.
Notes
NOTES
For this recipe you'll need approximately 2 cups mashed sweet potato.
Make ahead: The crust and filling can be baked 3 days in advanced and stored in the fridge. Prepare meringue topping the day of.