Purple Sweet Potato Pie

With Pecan Caramel

by LEON BOUTEILLER

I just realized that Thanksgiving is just a week away. So I want to publish this recipe in time for the upcoming holiday. This season is whooshing by quickly. Maybe the abnormally warm weather has kept me unaware. Nevertheless the Thanksgiving holiday has always been an important one for me. As a child I marveled at my mom and her ability to put together a feast for our family and friends. These days we’ve scaled back and reserve the larger gathering for Christmas celebration. Thanksgiving is a smaller and more intimate event.

I like to keep an eye on tradition adding new twists to make the menu interesting. Of course a roast turkey, albeit small, potatoes, stuffing, Brussels sprouts, gravy and cranberry sauce (my wife’s specialty). There will be pie but I want to take a less traveled fork in the road for that this year. There are many recipes for both pumpkin and apple pie. There are abundant recipes for sweet potato and pecan pie and several recipes for mincemeat pie.

This recipe takes flavors from sweet potato and pecan pie and combines them. Purple sweet potato replaces the orange fleshed potato. The sweetness and richness comes from a jar of Dulce de Leche. The pecan element is a simple nut caramel poured on top of the baked pie. There are several elements for this recipe but nothing too difficult

PURPLE SWEET POTATO PIE with PECAN CARAMEL
One 10 inch pie

Ingredients for the crust:

  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/3 cup whole wheat flour

  • 1 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

  • 6 tablespoons ice water

Ingredients for the filling:

  • 1 ⅔ cups sweet potato pulp from about 2 pounds of roasted sweet potatoes

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 3 room temperature eggs

  • ¾ cup evaporated milk

  • 1 16 ounce jar Dulce de Leche

Ingredients for the pecan caramel:

  • 2 cups toasted pecan halves

  • 6 tablespoons dark brown sugar

  • 4 teaspoons water

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Method for the crust:

  • Place the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade

  • Add in the butter and pulse a few times until it looks like a rough meal

  • Put the vinegar in a measuring cup and add in 6 tablespoons ice water

  • Pour the water mixture into the food processor while pulsing

  • If the dough hasn’t begun to pull together, add water one teaspoon at a time until it begins to cling together

  • Dump the dough out on your work surface and form into a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

  • Pull the dough from the fridge and roll into a circle to fit your pie tin

  • Crimp the dough around the edge decoratively and line the bottom with aluminum foil or parchment and place some pie weights or dry beans on top of the foil

  • Bake in a 375F degree oven for 15 minutes, remove the foil and weights. Lower the heat to 350F degrees and bake for another 7 minutes or so until it begins to take on a little color

  • Remove from the oven and cool

Method for the filling:

  • Run the potato pulp through a food mill or potato ricer, or mash and press through a medium sieve

  • In a bowl put the potato pulp, butter, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and stir to incorporate

  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, evaporated milk, vanilla and Dulce de Leche

  • Whisk this mixture into the potato a little at a time until fully incorporated

  • Pour the filling into the par-baked pie crust and bake at 350F degrees for 25 minutes, rotate the pie a half turn and continue to cook another 20 minutes

  • The pie will be done when it is firm, but the center is just a wee bit jiggly. It will continue to set after being pulled from the oven

  • If it forms a skin on top, don’t worry, as the pecan topping will cover it

Method for the pecan topping:

  • While the pie is baking, rough chop the pecans

  • Put the brown sugar, water, cinnamon, salt and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a bubbling simmer

  • Dump in the pecans and stir to coat for a minute

  • Stir in the butter and cream and cook, stirring constantly for a minute until syrupy

  • Pour the pecan caramel over the top of the baked pie and cool completely

This pie will keep for a couple of days, so it can certainly be made a day or two before the event and refrigerate. Let it come to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.

This is a good recipe if you want something different. If the purple sweet potatoes are not available, fret not and use orange fleshed sweet potatos. The Japanese sweet potato may be too dry and the recipe would have to be adapted. I

I hope you all have a spectacular Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends.

Enjoy!

Leon G Bouteiller was born and raised in Northwest Connecticut. He has held several jobs as chef in the community. He is now retired and living in Cornwall with his wife Patrice and a love of the outdoors. They are joined by their pets, a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog named Banjo and two rescue cats called Ricky and Lucy.

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