Purple Sweet Potato Pie

I love baking pie for Thanksgiving, but I’m not really a pumpkin pie fan so I like to switch it up from year to year. This year I had decided to make a sweet potato pie for two reasons, 1) because I live in a southern state, and 2) because they’re super yummy!

So off I went to the grocery store to purchase the ingredients needed. I walked in and what was the very 1st thing I stumbled upon? PURPLE sweet potatoes! I had never seen, or even heard, of purple sweet potatoes before, and since I have a number of family members who go bonkers for anything and everything purple, I just knew I had to get them. Purple Sweet Potato Pie - What a fun addition to the holiday table!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• disposable food-safe gloves https://amzn.to/34uNggl

• food processor https://amzn.to/3sEOKwr

• large open star tip https://amzn.to/3BvGMdb

• large disposable pastry bags https://amzn.to/33xWWCK

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3uIhQ0w

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3ovS9fE

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Purple Sweet Potato Pie

makes 1 pie (9-inch)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

For the Pie Filling:

• 1 pound cooked and peeled purple sweet potatoes (see cooking directions below)

• 12 once can evaporated milk

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell (try my easy recipe here)

For the Meringue Topping:

• 2 egg whites, room temperature

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

• big pinch of cream of tartar

• small pinch of fine salt

• 1/3 cup superfine sugar
  

Directions

To make the pie filling:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in lower center position.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine until completely smooth the peeled sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, butter, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves; scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell; place on a sheet pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until set (a very slight giggle in the very center of the pie is fine).

4. Remove pie from oven and cool to room temperature before chilling in an airtight container for several hours (overnight is even better).

To make the meringue topping:

1. In a medium bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, place the egg whites, cream of tartar, vanilla bean paste, and salt; use a fork or whisk to mix the ingredients and break up the eggs until they're frothy.

2. Use a hand mixer or the whip attachment of a stand mixer to whip egg whites until they reach soft peaks; sprinkle sugar in slowly and continue whipping until the whites are glossy and they reach the stiff peak stage.

3. Place meringue in a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip or large open star tip and pipe kisses around the top circumference of the pie; place under broiler for 2-3 minutes until meringue begins to brown on the edges, watching very carefully to prevent burning. Serve immediately.

Notes

• To bake purple sweet potatoes: wash potatoes and pierce with a knife or fork in several places to keep the potatoes from exploding in the oven. Place prepared potatoes in a baking dish and cover with foil; bake for 1 hour. Cool purple sweet potatoes, then peel skin off and discard - the skin should be easy to remove by hand or with a paring knife (you’ll definitely want to protect your hands with disposable gloves).

• DO NOT add meringue until just before serving - it’s highly hygroscopic and will become wet/watery if added too early.

• If you have a favorite sweet potato pie recipe, feel free to substitute purple sweet potatoes for the usual orange ones next time you make it.

• Topic for discussion at your next holiday gathering: Sweet Potatoes vs Yams. Although some people refer to sweet potatoes as yams, true yams are found in Africa and Asia. Just about every orange, yellow, and now purple-flesh “yam” sold in the US is actually a sweet potato.

Crystallized Ginger Crinkles

We’re in the midst of a cold snap and there’s just something about a chill in the air that motivates me to bake!! The flavorful combination of spices and molasses make these cookies, which are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, perfect for the holiday season!

Make the cookie dough and, before baking, we need to do a few things.

I used a #50 cookie scoop (my favorite size for cookies) to portion the dough. I’ll post a link to this favorite tool below.

Then roll the dough portions in the palm of your hands to make balls.

Next grab some sanding sugar. It glistens in the light. If you don’t have sanding sugar, you can use turbinado sugar, or even plain ole granulated sugar.

Once the balls of cookie dough are coated, pop them in the fridge to chill before baking.

Bake as directed in the recipe below. After removing from the oven, allow the crinkles to cool on sheet pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

I used ginger chips for this recipe, but I could have chopped crystallized ginger as well.

Tip: The best way I’ve found to cut crystallized ginger is to use a pair of sharp kitchen shears.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• #50 cookie scoop https://amzn.to/3rKxOoT

• half sheet pans https://amzn.to/35Z1GFA

• silpat baking mats https://amzn.to/36bQsOj

• ginger chips https://amzn.to/3uMXe7u

• crystallized ginger https://amzn.to/33kpSS0

• sanding sugar https://amzn.to/354Ipi5

• golden syrup https://amzn.to/3nZJgJw

• unsulphured molasses https://amzn.to/3uIgKlq

• stand mixer https://amzn.to/3j52Os3

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Crystallized Ginger Crinkle Cookies

makes about 4 dozen cookies (#50 scoop)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed

• 1 large egg

• 2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses

• 2 tablespoons Lyle’s golden syrup (see notes below)

• 1/2 cup finely minced crystallized ginger

• sanding sugar for coating

Recipe Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and allspice; set aside until needed.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (1-2 minutes).

3. Add the egg, golden syrup, and molasses until fully incorporated.

4. Stir in the minced crystallized ginger.

5. Using a #50 scoop, portion all the cookie dough and place on a silpat-lined half sheet pan.

6. Roll each portion into a ball, then coat with sanding sugar; return to half sheet pan and chill for at least 10 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 400F and place rack in center position.

8. Place 12 chilled balls of cookie dough evenly on a cool, silpat-lined half sheet pan; bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes.

9. Remove cookie from oven and rest on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Notes

• You can substitute more molasses if you don’t have any Lyle’s Golden Syrup (but why wouldn’t you? It’s the tastiest stuff ever!!).

• Be sure cookie sheets are completely cool before placing chilled dough balls on them.

• For best results, bake just one tray at a time.

• You can make and freeze the dough balls ahead of time (before coating with sanding sugar). Thaw dough balls in fridge overnight, then roll in sanding sugar and proceed as directed.

adapted from King Arthur