Sweet Potato Pie

As you know it’s getting all cold outside and that means it is time for some warming flavours even if that means having to bake something that is probably more difficult because of how scarcely I actually bake it. Too much can go wrong in this so if you want to make sure you’re doing it correctly then you probably want to follow this recipe pretty closely. I’m going to try and keep it as straightforward as possible but there are a few things here and there that can be considered to be a bit odd. I don’t particularly like sweet potatoes and I don’t like pie either. But I know a few people who do, so I make it for them.

It seems almost ironic that I don’t actually like to eat many of the flavours associated with this season even though I love using them so much. I think I’m far more attracted to the smells of spices, but that’s another story. For example: I really don’t like pumpkin and being as in-love with Halloween as I am, it often shocks people that I really dislike the flavour of it. I’m also really not into gingerbread at all - it grosses me out. But I love the smell of it and to make it for others is pretty cathartic.

Remember: all dairy ingredients can be substituted for dairy free alternatives. All eggs can be substituted for apple sauce. That would be one tablespoon of apple sauce per egg.

Part 1: Pastry

Ingredients:

• 250g plain flour
• 125g butter
• 1x beaten egg
• 1tsp salt
• 2 tbsp cinnamon

How To:

1. Mix together your flour and butter so that it turns into breadcrumbs, slowly adding the salt and cinnamon so that they are blended in
2. Add your beaten egg and mix together, making sure everything comes together nicely
3. Chill the dough for about half an hour
4. Once chilled, remove it from the fridge and roll it out into a pie tin. Mine is 27cm deep and is the usual size of a pie tin

Tip: make sure your pastry is rolled all the way up to the edge of the tin because your filling is going to rise in the oven and needs a little bit of space to do so…

***

This is where perhaps you need the most muscle. The sweet potato pie filling is not the easiest thing to do because it constantly feels like you’re doing it wrong. It also takes some time and can feel like you’re wasting time doing nothing. Don’t worry though - it does take time but it won’t take loads of effort. It’s just a bit weird because it doesn’t feel like your usual pie filling.

Part 2: Pie Filling

Ingredients:

• 500g sweet potatoes
• 125g butter
• 200g brown caster sugar
• 150ml whole milk
• 3x eggs
• 3x tbsp ground ginger
• 2x tsp vanilla extract

How To:

1. Preheat your oven to 180/C
2. Peel your sweet potatoes and chop them as you would to make roast potatoes.
3. Place the chopped sweet potatoes on an oven tray lined with greaseproof paper and sprinkle them with oil and salt
4. Put the oven tray with the potatoes on it in the oven for around 50 minutes to an hour (whenever they have completely softened)
5. Leave them to cool on the side whilst you make the pie filling
6. Grab your butter and sugar and cream them together in a mixing bowl, mixing until the mixture is completely blended (you do not want people biting on sugar bits)
7. Beat the eggs and mix in the milk to the egg mixture
8. Add the eggs and milk to the butter and sugar mixture and mix some more
9. Whilst you are still mixing together this mixture, add in the vanilla and ginger, keeping the mix going until everything is well-blended
10. Slowly, add each of the sweet potatoes and continue mixing until they have been blended into the whole thing
11. Pour the mixture (carefully) into the pastry case you should have rolled out from part one
12. Place your pie in the oven for around 50 minutes to one hour again. Do not worry about your pastry and mixture darkening at the top
13. When you take it out, there should be a tiny amount of wobble at the top and when you poke it with a skewer, the skewer should come out clean
14. Once out of the oven, let it sit for about ten minutes because that’s when it sets. A great tip is to poke a few holes in the pie to let the steam escape if you're one of those who are worried about the pie expanding and collapsing upon exiting the oven (I know I am)
15. You may now enjoy your sweet potato pie!

❤️🥧

Conclusion

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy your pie!

For more of my recipes simply go to my profile and click on the subheading 'Feast' - I'm trying to share as many as I can during my favourite season.