At the risk of repeating myself, let me just say this yet again, "Pie crusts are like predators, they smell fear".
I have come to a point and I say this with nothing but humility that I no longer fear the pie crust. For me having fixed it week after week, year after year has a lot to do with this. Yes we eat a lot of crust in its myriad uses. But this puffing of the chest business didn't come overnight. Nothing worse than the night before Thanksgiving being up till 1.30am trying to fix a pie crust recipe that is flawed, that came from a solid source and I say it again, flawed.
I therefore no longer shop around for pie crust recipes but stick with this true blue, time tested recipe because I know that it will render the same result in all its fabulous glory, day in and day out.
As I set out to write about sweet potato pie, I realised that even though none of us needs yet another pie recipe, I reckon we can all do with a really good one. This right here, right down to its naked crust is just that.
It's taken some thought churning to really pin down what leads to my personal pie nirvana and having penciled down the lot, I'm ready to share it with you.
~ 10 Tips to Pie Crust Nirvana ~
- Invest in a really good quality pie dish.
I love my Emile Henry because the burgundy clay used to make it and its thickness, ensures even baking throughout. I never realised what a difference a dish makes till I got rid of my cheapo one.
2. Use chilled butter
Using somewhat softened or sweaty butter softens the whole dough ball making it very tough to handle and making you sweat in the interim!
3. Have all your ingredients ready to go before you begin
Yes, a few minutes of advance preparation really pays off because once you get on the pie train, there's no getting off.
4. Get rid of distractions & follow instructions meticulously
This is not the time to watch your fave soap or psycho-babble with a girlf friend. Plus you're going to be a lot more excited blowing your trumpet after you fix the pie.
Stop playing with the recipe - you ain't a cat and the pie crust ain't your ball of yarn. Stick to the recipe - it works!
5. Use a timer or a seconds watch for the dough
When the recipe says pulse for 25 seconds, it means 25 seconds - not 15 & not 30 so it's best to use technology.
6. Use your palms. And chill baby chill!
Divide the dough into little balls and flatten with the heel of your hand. This gives the crust the flaky layers we love. Also chill that dough for the allotted time because if you don't you'll be cussing the whole way through as the dough will be very hard to handle.
7. Work fast once the dough is out of the refrigerator
Don't turn it into a sweaty dough ball because you left it sitting out on the counter top.
8. flour, flour, flour
Liberally flour the work surface where you'll be rolling out the dough - use 1/4 cup flour. This means you can easily quarter-turn the crust as you roll.
9. Roll evenly & 4" beyond the base of the pie dish
Nothing worse than not having enough crust to cover the dish. So I always roll out to 4" beyond the diameter of the base which covers the sides real well and gives me enough overhang to do the edges.
While you roll use a light hand and roll out the edges too. Its very common to end up with a thin center and a thick rim. Distribute the pressure as you roll.
10. Don't trim exactly to the edge of the pie dish
Trim 1/2" beyond the edge of the pie dish so you can pinch the edge to give you a nice scallop. Remember the crust will shrink once you bake and if you don't have enough of a overhang, you'll end up with a naked edge in spots much like a receding hairline.
So there you have it!
PLEASE share your pointers that work for you and I will be happy to add it to this list.
And now onwards to fixing some buttery sweet potato pie.
Begin with the sweet potatoes : Preheat the oven to 400 deg F.
Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Place them on a baking tray and roast for approx 1 hr minutes until the potatoes are very soft and can be easily pierced with a knife. Turn off the oven.
Halve the potatoes and using a spoon scoop out the soft flesh separating it from the outer skin. Discard the skin. Begin working on the pie crust to allow the roasted potatoes to cool.
Gather the remaining ingredients:
Pie crust - all-purpose flour, chilled butter cut into chunks, large egg, salt, sugar and chilled water.
Filling - roasted sweet potatoes, can sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, melted butter, eggs - shells discarded, sugar, pure vanilla extract & spices - ground cardamom, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and ground dry ginger
For the pie crust -
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add the all-purpose flour, cold butter chunks & sugar. Give it a pulse to combine.
Add the egg & pulse to combine to a texture of soft breadcrumbs.
Add the chilled water and pulse for 25 seconds until a ball has formed. Remove fro the food processor.
Flatten into a smooth disk and wrap in plastic cling wrap. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes.
Liberally flour a clean working surface with about 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. Roll out the dough evenly, giving a quarter turn as you go, to a diameter 4" larger than the base of the pie dish.
Cook's Note - You will need to place the pie dish on top of the rolled out crust to check the size.
Gently roll the crust around the rolling pin, lift and place in the pie dish. Adjust the crust gently so it is centered to the dish. Using fingers, gently flatten the crust so it lines the pie dish leaving no air gaps.
Trim the pie crust to 1/2" overhang beyond the edge of the dish.
Using your knuckle as a guide, pinch the dough to make a scalloped edge (refer to pic). Keep turning the pie dish towards you as you do this.
Refrigerate the crust while working on the filling.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg F.
Rinse out the food processor bowl of all remnants of the pie crust and refit with the metal blade.
Add the roasted potatoes and process for a minute or so to break down any lumps or solids.
Add all the remaining ingredients. Process till smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness and spices to your liking.
Pour the filling into the refrigerated pie crust. With a plastic spatula smooth the top of the pie.
Place the pie into the hot oven. 15 minutes into the baking remove the pie from the oven and use a pie edge guard or strips of aluminum foil to protect the crust from over-browning.
Bake for a total of approx 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when the pie is pierced.
Cool the pie to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Delicate and infused with fragrant spices, this pie which is the hallmark of Southern (US) cooking and is sure to comfort your soul. There are few things that spell the arrival of autumn as sweet potato pie which is probably why it makes an appearance in our home long before Thanksgiving. I can't get enough of the smooth rich and delicate flavors.
And much to my delight it is gobbled up by even the youngest members of our family with no nudging neccesary. As for me, leave me alone with my slice! My rule is simple, "Hush, Mum's eating her pie and silence and closed eyes are not optional"
He he...
Recipe for
Good Ole' Buttery Sweet Potato Pie
Preparation time - 30 minutes
Chilling time (dough) - 45 minutes
Baking time - 50 minutes
1 9" pie
Shopping list:
Pie crust-
1-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick, 4 oz cold butter cut into chunks
2 tbs sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 tbs chilled water
Filling -
2 to 2-1/2 lbs sweet potatoes
1 cup heavy cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 oz melted butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Spices-
1-1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground dry ginger
Method -
Begin with the sweet potatoes : Preheat the oven to 400 deg F.
Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Place them on a baking tray and roast for approx 1 hr minutes until the potatoes are very soft and can be easily pierced with a knife. Turn off the oven.
Halve the potatoes and using a spoon scoop out the soft flesh separating it from the outer skin. Discard the skin. Begin working on the pie crust to allow the roasted potatoes to cool.
Gather the remaining ingredients:
Pie crust - all-purpose flour, chilled butter cut into chunks, large egg, salt, sugar and chilled water.
Filling - roasted sweet potatoes, can sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, melted butter, eggs - shells discarded, sugar, pure vanilla extract & spices - ground cardamom, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and ground dry ginger
For the pie crust -
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add the all-purpose flour, cold butter chunks & sugar. Give it a pulse to combine.
Add the egg & pulse to combine to a texture of soft breadcrumbs.
Add the chilled water and pulse for 25 seconds until a ball has formed. Remove fro the food processor.
Flatten into a smooth disk and wrap in plastic cling wrap. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes.
Liberally flour a clean working surface with about 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. Roll out the dough evenly, giving a quarter turn as you go, to a diameter 4" larger than the base of the pie dish.
Cook's Note - You will need to place the pie dish on top of the rolled out crust to check the size.
Gently roll the crust around the rolling pin, lift and place in the pie dish. Adjust the crust gently so it is centered to the dish. Using fingers, gently flatten the crust so it lines the pie dish leaving no air gaps.
Trim the pie crust to 1/2" overhang beyond the edge of the dish.
Using your knuckle as a guide, pinch the dough to make a scalloped edge (refer to pic). Keep turning the pie dish towards you as you do this.
Refrigerate the crust while working on the filling.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg F.
Rinse out the food processor bowl of all remnants of the pie crust and refit with the metal blade.
Add the roasted potatoes and process for a minute or so to break down any lumps or solids.
Add all the remaining ingredients. Process till smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness and spices to your liking.
Pour the filling into the refrigerated pie crust. With a plastic spatula smooth the top of the pie.
Place the pie into the hot oven. 15 minutes into the baking remove the pie from the oven and use a pie edge guard or strips of aluminum foil to protect the crust from over-browning.
Bake for a total of approx 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when the pie is pierced.
Cool the pie to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
