Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie made with a homemade buttery shortcrust pastry and decorated with cream, a delicious dessert be to enjoyed throughout the Fall season. Particularly nice for your Thanksgiving menu, this pie is so easy to make, and a big winner with everyone.
As much as I love summer, there is something spectacular about Fall that I can't have enough of. The colder, darker, shorter days, the beautiful colours around, the harvest. Not to mention the delicious recipes we can enjoy with fresh seasonal produce.
And this sweet potato pie is definitely a must-try this Autumn! Together with the pumpkin pie it has its special place on every table, especially on Thanksgiving, the highlight of Fall. Both pies are pretty similar in taste, colour and way of making, and are most certainly as delicious.
If you don't have any fresh or canned pumpkin around, sweet potatoes are the next best things. Plus, they are easily available all-year around, so definitely the best swap. Or even butternut squash might do the trick too.
You can buy the crust, but to be honest it's dead easy to make it, and it uses 4 simple ingredients, nothing else. So, why not have the real deal, instead of a cheap-quality substitute.
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Ingredients needed to make sweet potato pie
- plain flour - for the filling
- butter
- granulated sugar
- egg yolk
- cold water
- roasted sweet potatoes
- eggs
- light brown sugar
- vanilla extract
- milk - full fat is the best, semi-skimmed also ok
- cream - double or heavy cream, whipped cream for decorating
Step-by-step photos and instructions
How to make buttery shortcrust pastry
I know that buying a ready made one is easier, but the taste will never be the same, so I highly recommend making it yourself. No dodgy ingredients, guaranteed a fantastic taste and great texture.
- sift the flour, add the cold butter cut into cubes, and use your fingertips to rub them together until you get a breadcrumb-like texture
- add the sugar, vanilla extract, egg yolk and water, and knead gently until you get a smooth dough
- cover it with clingfilm, and chill it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes
- use a rolling pin to roll it out, then transfer it to a pie/quiche pan, cutting out the extra dough
- use a fork to prick the dough in a few places
How to make sweet potato filling
Roasting the sweet potatoes might take longer than boiling, but the taste is phenomenal when you bake them. The naturally-occurring sugar is released during baking, and that slight caramelisation enhances the flavour.
- roast the sweet potatoes, then leave them to cool completely
- peel the potatoes, then add them to a bowl together with the eggs, white and brown sugar, vanilla extract, milk, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger
You can use granulated sugar only, but the brown sugar adds more flavour and a deeper colour. You can also add dark muscovado sugar, and replace the white one completely.
- use an electric mixer or a hand blender to blend everything well
- pour the filling over the crust, and bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 40-45 minutes or until the filling is set and the crust is golden
How to decorate the pie
This pie is delicious as it is, but why not take it to the very next level by decorating it with some cream? Its silkiness adds a whole new world for texture and flavour.
Now, if you have a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, you can make sure pretty designs, making it even more amazing than it already is. But otherwise, don't trouble yourself, even if you just apply a layer of cream, that should still do.
I used double/ heavy cream, but whipping cream would be even better, it's up to you what you have, and what you like, no need to go put of your way decorating it.
And that's my yummy crummy sweet potato pie, do give it try, you will love it!
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Old-fashioned Sweet Potato Pie
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
For the crust
- 250 g plain flour
- 125 g butter
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoon cold water
For the filling
- 450 g roasted sweet potatoes (1 lb)
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup milk
To decorate
- 120 ml cream double or heavy cream, whipped cream
Instructions
- To make the shortcrust pastry, sift the flour, add the cold butter cut into cubes, and use your fingertips to rub them together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the sugar, egg yolk and water, and knead gently to get a smooth dough.
- Cover it with clingfilm, and chill it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
- Use a rolling pin to a roll it over, then arrange it over a pie/quiche pan.
- Cut out the excess dough, and use a fork to prick the dough in several places.
- Add the cool roasted sweet potatoes to a large bowl, add the white and brown sugar, milk, eggs and vanilla extract, and mix well.
- Pour the mixture over the crust, and bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 40-45 minutes until the filling is set and the pastry is golden.
- Leave to cool completely, then beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks, and add it to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
- Decorate and serve cold from the fridge!
Notes
- To see the measurements in cups and ounces, please click on the US CUSTOMARY link.
- The amount of ingredients listed can be adjusted depending on the number of servings you need, just click on the number next to SERVINGS.
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