Directions: |
Directions:Make the pie crust: There are many ways to cut butter into flour, but use a combination of food processor & hands. The food processor breaks up the fat quickly, so there is less time for it to get warm. Combine flour, sugar & salt in the machine. Put butter in the machine in 3 parts; pulse 2-3 times after each addition. By the time you’ve added all the butter, some of it will be completely blended into the flour & some will be in large pea-sized pieces. Add vodka to the ice water, then add mixture to the dough 3 Tbsp at a time; pulse just once to combine each time. If you pulse too much you will continue to break down butter too much.
Once you’ve added all the water, pour dough out onto counter. It may still need some more water, so do the rest by hand to avoid breaking down butter too much. First try pressing dough together to determine if it is too dry. If it isn’t holding together, or there is still powdery flour, add a couple more Tbsp of water and try pressing together again. The dough should come together without falling apart, but not too mushy with water.
Press into a log; cut into 2 pieces. Form dough into 2 disks; wrap each well with plastic. You should see the whole pieces of butter in the dough; this is what you want to create the flakiness. Chill for at least 2 hours.
Remove one disk from the fridge. Reserve other disk for another use (you can freeze it up to 3 months to have pie dough on the ready for your next project). Sprinkle flour onto counter. Roll dough out from the center, adding a little flour and turning dough a quarter-turn to make sure it isn’t sticking too much to surface.
Make sure dough will fit pan. There should be about 2 extra inches around pie plate. Use rolling pin to transfer dough to pie plate. Trim & crimp edges, then freeze for at least 15 min.
Preheat oven to 350°.
After you’ve frozen pie crust for at least 15 min, line with aluminum foil; fill with pie weights. Bake for 20-25 min, or until golden brown on edge and dry looking in middle.
Make sweet potato pie filling: Lower the oven to 325°.
In large bowl, whisk sweet potato puree, sour cream, sugar, eggs, evaporated milk, extracts & salt. Pour into blind-baked pie shell.
Bake pie for 75-90 min (may take longer depending on temp of ingredients when they go in oven), or until sides start to puff & middle is set but still slightly wobbly. Cool completely, about 3 hours. The pie will be easier to cut once completely cool or refrigerated.
Make the Italian meringue: Prepare this and pile on JUST BEFORE SERVING!
In a small saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, bring the sugar, corn syrup, and reserved purple sweet potato water to a boil over med-high heat. If any of the sugar crystals get onto the side of the pan, be sure to wipe them down with a wet, clean pastry brush. The sugar needs to cook until it hits 248° on the thermometer. This takes several minutes. Meanwhile, once the sugar syrup has reached 235°, whip the egg whites in your stand mixer until they are medium peaks.
Once the sugar reaches the final temperature of 248°, slowly pour it into the bowl of whipping egg whites while the beater is going on slow speed. Be sure to pour it along the side of the bowl so that the hot syrup doesn’t hit the beater and splatter. Allow the eggs and sugar mixture to beat on med-high speed until the meringue is light, fluffy, glossy, and bright blue. Add the extract and whip for another 30 seconds.
Mound half the meringue onto the chilled pie. Pipe the remaining meringue onto the mound to create a pattern. Toast the meringue with a kitchen blow torch just before serving. |
This recipe for Sweet Potato Pie-Purple is from