Sweet Potato Gingerbread Meringue Pie Recipes

SWEET-POTATO MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Sweet-Potato Pie: Preheat oven to 425°F. Pierce sweet potatoes in a few places with a fork, and bake until very soft, about 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on size of potatoes.
• Meanwhile, roll out dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate, and trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• When sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out enough flesh to measure 2 cups (reserve any remaining flesh for another use), and transfer to a food processor. Add eggs, milk, cream, sugars, salt, nutmeg, and vanilla, and process until smooth.
• Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Pour filling into crust. Bake until filling puffs and cracks around edge and pie is just set, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 1/2 hours. Pie can be kept at room temperature for 1 day, covered loosely with parchment or foil.
• Meringue: Beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in a bowl with a mixer on low speed until foamy. Raise speed to high, and add granulated sugar in a slow, steady stream. Whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Spoon meringue on top of pie. Lightly brown meringue in places with a small kitchen torch (or broil about 7 inches from heat source about 45 seconds).

SPICED SWEET POTATO MERINGUE PIE IN A GINGERSNAP CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place sweet potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until very soft, about 1 hour. When potatoes are cool enough to handle halve and scoop out enough flesh to measure 2 cups, reserving remainder for another use and discarding skin. While potatoes are still hot, add butter and mash until almost smooth; small lumps of potato should remain.
• Whisk together eggs, sugar, allspice, ginger, and salt. Stir in evaporated milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Gradually add egg mixture to sweet potatoes, whisking gently to combine.
• Pour the filling into the cooled piecrust. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake until the filling is set around edges but still jiggles slightly when shaken, about 20 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, about 30 minutes.
• To make the meringue topping, in a large bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks start to form. Slowly add the sugar while beating constantly. Beat until glossy and stiff peaks form, being careful not to over beat the meringue.
• Preheat the broiler.
• While the pie is still warm spread the meringue evenly over the filling, smoothing out to the pastry edges to seal. Place under the broiler and cook until the meringue is golden brown, about 1 minute.
• Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour. Serve.
• Gingersnap Crust:Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a bowl, combine the ginger snap crumbs, butter, and brown sugar and blend well.
• Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, and press into the bottom and up the sides with your fingers. Place another 9-inch pie pan on top of the crust and press firmly to smooth and pack the crust. (Some of the crust may spill over the edges of the pan.)Brush the crust with the egg white.
• Bake until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. Refrigerate, tightly covered, for one hour before using, or freeze for up to 6 weeks.

SWEET POTATO MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out a disk of dough into a circle about ¼-inch thick. Starting at one end, gently roll up the dough onto the rolling pin. Unfurl the dough over a 9-inch pie plate, preferably ceramic, and press it in lightly, making sure it's lining the plate.
• Trim so that there's about ½ inch of excess dough hanging over the edge of the pie plate. (If the dough feels warm, refrigerate it for 15 minutes.) Tuck the excess dough under itself so it is flush with the edge of the pie plate; leave the pie like this for a straight-edge finish, or crimp as desired. Dock the base and sides all over with a fork and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 hours.
• Place a rack on the bottom shelf of the oven, and place a baking stone, if you have one, on the rack. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Use a small brush to evenly paint egg wash on the edge of the crust. Cut a square of parchment paper and use it to line the crust. Fill with pie weights (or dried beans) up to the top edge. Place the plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil.
• Transfer the baking sheet to the oven, placing it directly on the baking stone if using. Bake crust until the outer edge is just starting to turn golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and pie weights, and continue to bake until the base appears set, 2 to 4 minutes more. If the dough puffs up anywhere, you can puncture it with a fork. Cool the crust completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
• Make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla and melted butter to combine.
• Add the sweet potatoes, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and mix to combine. Whisk in the heavy cream until evenly incorporated. (If you have an immersion blender and want to get the texture even smoother, you can blend it now too.) Transfer the pie plate to the prepared baking sheet and pour the custard into the crust.
• Transfer the baking sheet to the oven, placing it directly on the baking stone if using. Bake until the crust is evenly golden brown and the custard appears set around the outer edge, about 35 minutes; the center of the pie may still be noticeably jiggly. Let cool completely at room temperature on a rack.
• Make the meringue: Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and mix briefly just to combine. Stir the sugar and ⅓ cup/80 milliliters water together in a small pot. Place the pot over medium heat, and stir until it begins to simmer, then stop stirring. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush away any sugar crystals that have washed up on the sides of the pot.
• Continue to cook the sugar mixture until it reaches 235 degrees on a thermometer, about 4 to 5 minutes; when it does, start whipping the egg whites on medium speed. (The goal is to get them lightly whipped and foamy by the time the sugar reaches 240 degrees.)
• When the sugar reaches 240 degrees, remove the pot from the heat. With the mixer still running on medium speed, gently pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl in a slow, steady stream. Continue whipping until the meringue reaches medium peaks, 3 to 4 minutes more.
• Prepare two disposable piping bags by cutting openings large enough to accommodate pastry tips: an open star tip and a French star tip. Divide the meringue between the two bags.
• Starting with one of the bags, pipe shapes on top of the filling around the outside edge of the pie, varying the shapes in size and design. (Piping straight downward will form a basic star shape, or you can pipe in a spiral to create a sort-of rosette design.) The piped shapes should be random and can be layered on top of one another for the fullest look. Continue with both bags until the whole outer portion of the pie is covered, leaving a 3-inch circle of filling exposed in the center. (You'll most likely have extra meringue: See Note.) Alternatively, you can skip the piping, and scoop the meringue onto the pie, swirling it with the back of a spoon or offset spatula.
• Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue, if desired. Serve within 2 hours. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, tented with foil.

GRANDADDY'S SWEET POTATO MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Place the sweet potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two. Transfer the sweet potatoes into a mixing bowl, and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9-inch pie dish with unbaked pie crust.
• Mash the sweet potatoes smoothly, and mix in butter, 3/4 cup of sugar, salt, milk, egg yolks, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Pour the filling into the pie crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is set and the pie crust is beginning to brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Place the egg whites into a clean mixing bowl, and beat until stiff with an electric mixer set on medium, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, until the mixture holds firm peaks and is glossy. Remove the pie from the oven and spoon meringue over the sweet potato filling, swirling the meringue into attractive peaks. Return to oven, and bake until the meringue turns golden brown, about 10 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning. Allow to cool before serving.

GINGER SWEET-POTATO PIE WITH CINNAMON MERINGUE

Steps:

• Make filling:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. and line a baking sheet with foil.
• Prick sweet potatoes in several places with a fork and on baking sheet bake in middle of oven until very soft, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, halve and scoop out enough flesh to measure 2 cups, reserving remainder for another use. In a food processor purée flesh with all remaining filling ingredients except ginger until smooth. Finely chop ginger and stir into filling. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring filling to room temperature before proceeding.
• On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough into a 14-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and fit into a 9-inch (1-quart) glass pie plate. Trim dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, and crimp edge decoratively. With a fork prick bottom and side of shell all over. Chill shell 30 minutes, or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or raw rice. Bake shell in middle of oven 25 minutes and carefully remove foil and weights or rice. Bake shell until just pale golden, about 10 minutes more. Pour filling into shell and bake pie in middle of oven 40 minutes.
• Make meringue after pie has baked 30 minutes:
• In a large metal bowl stir together sugar and cinnamon until combined well. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and add whites, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove bowl from heat and with an electric mixer beat whites until they hold stiff, glossy peaks.
• Mound meringue in center of hot filling and spread almost to edge of pie. Bake pie in middle of oven until meringue is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes more. Serve pie warm or at room temperature.

SWEET POTATO MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Make filling:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. and line a baking sheet with foil.
• Prick potatoes and bake on baking sheet in middle of oven 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until very soft. Cool potatoes until they can be handled and scoop out enough flesh to measure 2 cups, reserving any remaining flesh for another use.
• In a blender or food processor purée potatoes with remaining filling ingredients until smooth. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring filling to room temperature before proceeding.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out dough into a 14-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and fit into a 9- to 10-inch (1-quart) glass pie plate, crimping edge decoratively. Chill shell 30 minutes
• Preheat oven to 375°F. with a baking sheet on middle rack.
• Pour filling into shell and bake on heated baking sheet in oven 1 hour, or until filling is set but center still shakes, slightly. (Filling will continue to set as pie cools.) Cool pie on a rack. Pie may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered loosely. Bring pie to room temperature before proceeding.
• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Make meringue:
• In a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water stir together whites and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Remove bowl from pan and with an electric mixer beat meringue on high speed until it holds stiff, glossy peaks.
• Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe tall pointed mounds close together, covering pie.
• Bake pie in middle of oven until meringue is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Just before serving, dust pie lightly with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or room temperature.