Name: Purple Sweet Potato Pie
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H40M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT5H30M0.000S
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook’s Note), plus more for rolling; 4 teaspoons granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, diced; 4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar; 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed; 1 pound (about 4 small) purple sweet potatoes; 3/4 cup whole milk; 2/3 cup heavy cream; 2/3 cup light brown sugar; 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped; 1 small cinnamon stick; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 2 large eggs; 1 large egg yolk; Whipped cream, for serving

Directions

Watch how to make this recipe.

Special equipment:

pie weights or dried beans

For the pie dough: Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add about half the cubed butter and pulse until the butter is completely worked into the flour. Pulse in the remaining butter until it is in pea-size pieces. Drizzle the vinegar and 3 tablespoons ice water in while pulsing until a dough starts to form. Add more ice water a tablespoon at a time if needed. Remove the dough from the processor, wrap in plastic and then press into a thin round disc about 1/2-inch thick. Refrigerate the dough until cold and firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Meanwhile, for the sweet potato filling: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put the potatoes on a small roasting pan or baking sheet and bake until tender and easily pierced with a fork, 45 to 50 minutes. Let the sweet potatoes cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring the milk, cream, brown sugar, vanilla bean pod and seeds, cinnamon stick, salt and nutmeg to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat, cover and steep until needed, or up to 1 hour and then refrigerate.
Peel the cooked sweet potatoes and place the flesh in the carafe of a blender. Discard the vanilla bean pod and cinnamon stick from the milk mixture and then add it to the blender. Blend on medium speed until smooth. Whisk the eggs and yolk in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk the warm sweet potato mixture into the eggs until smooth. Cover and set aside at room temperature until needed, or up to 1 hour and then refrigerate.
Roll out the pie dough on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch round. Ease the dough into a 9-inch pie plate, pressing gently to cover the bottom and sides. Trim the dough so that the edges hang about 1/2 inch over the pan. Tuck the overhanging dough under itself and then crimp the edges with floured fingers. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
Have the oven at 400 degrees F. Line the crust with foil or parchment paper and add pie weights or dried beans. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the crust sets and begins to brown around the edges, about 25 minutes. Lift the foil and weights out of crust and continue to bake until the bottom browns, 15 to 20 minutes. (See Cook’s Note for preparing the pie up to this point and baking later.)
Remove the pie crust from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Pour the filling into the hot crust and bake until the center is set, 50 to 55 minutes. You can cover the edge of the pie with strips of foil if the crust gets too dark.
Remove the pie from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. Serve slightly warm or completely cooled with a dollop of freshly whipped cream on each slice. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days.

Cook’s Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.) After the crust is baked, you can stop and store the elements for up to 2 days before baking the pie. Just cool the par-baked pie crust completely, wrap in plastic and set aside at room temperature for up to 2 days. Transfer the sweet potato filling into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake in a preheated 325-degree-F oven until the center is set, about 1 hour.