If there is one pie Nik Sharma (of the blog A Brown Table) looks forward to each Thanksgiving season, it’s sweet potato. Indian chefs often use yogurt as a thickener and cool counterpoint to the spice in curries. In this pie, it enriches the pie and balances the sweetness of the potatoes with tangy acidity. Find more of Nik’s autumn recipes in our September/October 2017 issue.
Sweet Potato Yogurt Pie
Makes 1 (9-inch) pie
Ingredients
- Cream Cheese Pastry Crust (recipe follows)
- 2 cups (488 grams) roasted sweet potato purée*
- 3 large eggs (150 grams), room temperature
- 1 cup (240 grams) full-fat unsweetened plain Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup (165 grams) firmly packed brown sugar
- ½ cup (170 grams) maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) bourbon
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon (8 grams) cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Let Cream Cheese Pastry Crust stand at room temperature for 5 to 6 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 13-inch circle, about ⅛ inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate, pressing into bottom and up sides. Fold edges under, and crimp as desired. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and freeze for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Place a wire rack at mid-level in oven, and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Top dough with a piece of parchment paper, letting ends extend over edges of plate. Add pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove paper and weights.
- In the container of a blender, place sweet potato purée and all remaining ingredients; pulse on high until smooth and combined, 30 to 40 seconds. Pour filling into prepared crust.
- Bake until filling is firm yet slightly jiggly in center, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Cover lightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight before serving.
Notes
To make roasted sweet potato purée, wash and scrub sweet potatoes under cold running tap water to remove any dirt. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C), and place sweet potatoes in an ovenproof dish. (Most baking pans can’t withstand temperatures beyond 400°F [200°C], so I recommend using a cast-iron baking dish.) Bake until a skewer or knife passes through center of potato easily and flesh is soft and tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool to room temperature. Remove and discard skins. Purée until smooth using a handheld blender, food processor, or blender.
Cream Cheese Pastry Crust
From Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Pie and Pastry Bible / Makes 1 (9-inch) crust
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups (173 grams) whole-wheat pastry flour
- 2 tablespoons (14 grams) fine-grain sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine-grain salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 ounces (85 grams) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, grated or cut into small chunks and kept frozen
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) heavy whipping cream
- 1½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Freeze in an airtight bag for 30 minutes.
- Place chilled dry ingredients in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a dough blade. Cut cream cheese into 4 chunks, and add to dry ingredients. Pulse until mixture just starts to come together, about 20 seconds. Add frozen chunks of butter, and pulse for 20 to 30 seconds. Add cream and vinegar, and pulse until mixture is crumbly. Transfer to a plastic bag, and knead from outside of bag until mixture holds together in one piece. Remove dough from bag, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
