Okinawan Sweet Potato Haupia Dessert Recipes

OKINAWAN SWEET POTATO HAUPIA DESSERT

Steps:

• Wash the outer skin of the Okinawan sweet potato, then boil for 30-45 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Remove from heat, peel, and mash. Set aside.
• CRUST layer (start working on this layer while the sweet potatoes are cooking): In medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, and nuts.
• Cut butter into flour mixture until texture is sandy.
• Press lightly into 9 x 13 baking pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
• SWEET POTATO Layer: Combine evaporated milk, vanilla and salt. Set aside.
• Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add eggs.
• Gradually mix in the mashed sweet potatoes.
• Add the evaporated milk mixture.
• Pour onto crust layer.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool.
• HAUPIA Layer: Combine sugar and cornstarch. Add water.
• Pour coconut milk into a medium saucepan. Add sugar mixture. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until thickened. Allow to cool slightly.
• Pour coconut milk mixture over pie filling and refrigerate until set.
• Cut into bars or diamonds and serve. I personally find the crust better the next day.
• Optional: Just before cutting, add a layer of Cool Whip.
• Cooking Okinawan Sweet Potatoes (from cooks.com): Please note that the potato size may affect cooking times and that the purple will turn brownish when exposed to air. BAKE: Poke some holes in it with fork. Bake in 400 degree oven for 30-60 minutes until it tests soft when pierced with a fork. STEAM: Poke a few holes in washed potato. Steam 30-45 minutes until tender. MICROWAVE: Cut in half lengthwise. Put the cut side down in 1/2-1 inch of water. Microwave on high 5-7 minutes. I've also seen a suggestion to start it off with a few minutes of microwaving before wrapping in foil and baking in the oven.

OKINAWAN SWEET POTATO HAUPIA PIE

Steps:

• In a deep pot, add enough water to cover the Okinawan Sweet Potatoes. Boil until tender. To check, pierce the center of sweet potato with a fork. If it slides easily, potato is cook.
• Drain water. Peel and mash potatoes, set aside to cool. Note: Depending on your liking, you can puree sweet potatoes with other ingredients in the blender or if you prefer a chunkier filling use a fork to mash it.
• Meanwhile, prepare crust.
• Chop macadamia nuts using a mortar or a food processor. Cut butter into cubes.
• In a bowl, combine chopped macadamia nuts and butter. Use a spatula and a fork to break and mix butter with macadamia. Once mixture is crumbly and no large butter chunks remain, it is time to make the crust.
• Spread macadamia nut mixture evenly at the bottom of pie pan. Starting at the center, use your fingers and press mixture to form a crust working your way up to the sides of pan. Use a fork to crimp the top edges of crust or however you prefer to do it.
• Place the crust in the fridge while preparing filling.
• Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees F.
• The next process either you do it by hand for a chunkier filling or use a blender for a smoother texture. (I like it with some small chunks.)
• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy.
• On one side of bowl, lightly beat eggs. Combine eggs with mixture until completely incorporated.
• Gradually add mashed Okinawan Sweet Potatoes, mixing thoroughly.
• Add evaporated milk, vanilla and salt. Blend well.
• Take the crust from the fridge and spread the sweet potato filling into the pie crust. Leave ½ an inch on top for the Haupia layer.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until the edge of the crust is golden and the potato filling is lightly browning in spots.
• Cool pie completely in the refrigerator.
• When pie has cooled, prepare the haupia layer. Note: Don't prepare haupia ahead of time as it will solidify into chunky globs of coconut.
• In a saucepan, add the coconut milk and water, but don't turn on the heat just yet.
• Mix sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl then add it to the coconut milk mixture.
• Heat at medium-low stirring constantly, until thickened. If you spoon out and lift mixture and glop of mixture falls back into the pan, it is ready. Remove pan from heat.
• Immediately pour haupia mixture over pie spreading evenly. Return to the fridge and chill for several hours. Note: Haupia should be applied as soon as it's cooked as it will turn solid.
• If you like, top with macadamia nuts, toasted coconut or toasted pinipig. Serve cold. Enjoy!

OKINAWAN PURPLE SWEET POTATO HAUPIA PIE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, and salt
• Press crumbs firmly onto the bottom of a greased 8x8" square baking pan
• Bake in the oven while you prepare the sweet potato filling (only about 10-15 minutes, be careful not to leave it too long; don't let it burn)
• Cook your sweet potatoes to make a puree: you can do this in the microwave, in the oven, or on a grill. Just cook however you would normally make a baked or roast potato. You can do this a few days ahead of time and save the puree in the fridge.
• Take one cup of sweet potato puree and mix with the sugar, egg, heavy cream, cardamom, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
• Spread the filling over the graham cracker crust. It will be a thin layer.
• Bake until set - about 15-20 minutes. Then set your pie to cool in the fridge.
• While your baked sweet potato layer is cooling, make the haupia.
• Mix sugar and cornstarch in a separate bowl.
• Add in some of the liquid from the coconut milk - about 1/2 cup. Mix until well combined.
• Heat up the rest of the coconut milk in a pot on the stove.
• When the coconut milk is bubbling, slowly pour in your cornstarch mixture very slowly while continuously whisking the hot coconut milk in the pot. It's important to keep stirring to avoid lumps.
• Cook the haupia, continuously whisking, until the mixture has thickened to a custard like consistency and is bubbling. Be very careful not to get burned by the steam or the popping bubbles!
• Take the haupia off the heat and whisk in the coconut extract, if using. Then, very gently spread over the purple sweet potato filling. Be careful when spreading the haupia so as not to mix the white and purple layers.
• Place the pie into the fridge to let the haupia layer set. I like to leave it uncovered in the fridge until the top has become dry to the touch, then I cover with plastic wrap.
• When the pie has fully cooled and the haupia is set, you can cut it into squares to serve.

SWEET POTATO HAUPIA PIE

Steps:

• 1. CRUST: Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium size bowl. Add the chopped nuts and the butter. Cut the mixture with two butter knives, pulling them across each other in a scissor motion until the crust mixture is crumbly and no large butter chunks remain.
• 2. Press the crust mixture onto the bottom of a pie pan, continuing up the sides of the pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator.
• 3. SWEET POTATO LAYER: In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add egg one at a time, mixing after adding each egg. Add half of the sweet potatoes, mixing thoroughly. Add the other half and mix again. Mix in the evaporated milk, vanilla and salt.
• 4. Spread the sweet potato mixture into the pie crust, do not add too much, it should fill the pie crust no higher than 1/2 an inch from the top edge of the crust so that we have room for the haupia layer.
• 5. Bake the pie at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the edge of the crust is golden and the potato filling is lightly browning in spots.
• 6. HAUPIA LAYER: When the cooked pie has cooled. Begin preparing the haupia layer. You do not want to start preparing the haupia too early or it will solidify.
• 7. Place the coconut milk and the water in a saucepan, but do not turn on the heat just yet. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl then add it to the liquids. Turn the heat on to medium, stirring constantly, until it thickens.
• 8. Immediately pour the haupia mixture over the sweet potato layer and return the pie to the refrigerator to chill for several hours.