Sweet Potato Meringue Pie

By LisaMK

Food and Wine, Nov. 2010

Ingredients

• Crust
• 1 cup (4 oz) pecan halves
• 11 whole graham crackers, broken
• 4 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 2 tbs dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 6 tbs butter, melted
• Filling & Topping
• 4 8 oz sweet potato
• 1/2 c dark brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbs bourbon
• 1/2 c heavy cream
• 1 c sugar
• 1/3 c water
• 3 egg whites
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 60mins
Cooking time 150mins

Preparation

Step 1

Crust:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In pie plate, toast pecans for 10 mins. Let nuts cool completely.
Food processor, combine pecans, graham crackers, ginger, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon; pulse until crumbs form.
Add butter and process until incorporated.
Press crumbs evenly into 9 or 10 inch pie plate.
Bake crust for about 25 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant.
Using rubber spatula, press down crust and let cool completely. Wipe out processor.
Filling:
Prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork and cook in microwave at high for 10 mins, until just softened.
Transfer potatoes to the oven and roast for about 10 minutes longer, until soft.
Let cool, then scrape out the flesh; about 2 1/4 cups.
Transfer potato to food processor and puree until smooth. Add brown sugar, eggs and bourbon and process until blended.
Add heavy cream and process until incorporated. Pour filling into crust and bake for about 50 mins, until set and top looks dry; cover crust edges with foil if they darken. Let pie cool completely. Preheat broiler.
Small saucepan, combine sugar, water and bring to boil. Cook over high heat without stirring until a candy thermometer inserted in syrup registers 240 degrees, 5 mins.
Meanwhile, bowl of standing mixer fitted with the whisk, beat egg whites with salt until soft peaks form.
With machine on, carefully drizzle in hot syrup and beat at high speed until whites are stiff, glossy and warm to the touch, 5 mins. beat in vanilla.
Mound meringue over sweet potato filling, swirling it decoratively. Broil pie 4 to 6 inches from heat for about 30 secs, until meringue is lightly browned.
Cut pie into wedges and serve.