TART - Sweet Potato Pie

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Ingredients

  • sweet potato puree:
  • 3 large sweet potatoes
  • water to cover
  • crust:
  • 10 graham crackers (the full sheets, rectangles)
  • 3 TBSP sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • pinch kosher salt
  • 5 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
  • filling:
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1 and 3/4 c. cooled sweet potato puree
  • 1/2 c. half and half
  • 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
  • whipped cream:
  • 1 c. heavy cream
  • 1/2 c. light brown sugar

Preparation

Step 1

Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks of approximately the same size...about 1.5".

{Do NOT place the peels in your garbage disposal...so say my notes from "The Thanksgiving without a working garbage disposal, 2003."}

Place in a dutch oven, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, or until tender with pierced with a paring knife. Drain in a colander, then transfer to a food processor. Process until smooth.

Set aside to cool. (This will make more than you'll need for the pie.)

Place an oven rack on the lowest shelf and preheat oven to 350.
Use a food processor to combine the graham crackers, sugar, ginger and salt until finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse until moist crumbs form.

Dump the mixture into a glass 9" pie pan and press into the bottom and up sides of the pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until blended. Whisk in the cooled sweet potato puree, half and half, lemon juice, vanilla, salt and allspice until completely smooth. Pour into the prepared crust and use an offset spatula to smooth the top.

Place the pie on a cookie sheet and bake 40-50 minutes until set. The pie filling should not jiggle much at all when shaken.

Transefer to a wire rack to cool, about 2 hours. Refrigerate once cooled.

Before serving, make the whipped cream. Chill the bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for a few minutes before whipping. Beat the cream and sugar together until soft peaks form. Dollop on the pie.