Description
This Purple Sweet Potato Pie with Swiss Meringue Topping is a delightful twist on the classic sweet potato pie, featuring vibrant purple sweet potatoes for a stunning color and rich flavor. With a flaky homemade pie crust, a smooth spiced sweet potato filling, and a light, fluffy Swiss meringue topping toasted to perfection, this dessert is sure to impress at any gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1 perfect pie crust (homemade flaky pie crust recommended)
Sweet Potato Filling
- 1 pound Stokes purple sweet potatoes
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Swiss Meringue Topping
- 3 large egg whites (room temperature)
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prepare Pie Crust: Prepare one half of your homemade flaky pie crust recipe, form it into a disk, and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to relax the dough.
- Roll and Fit Crust: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4 inch thickness and 2 inches wider than your pie pan. Transfer to the pan, trim excess dough, and crimp or decorate edges as desired. Poke the bottom with a fork to prevent air bubbles.
- Chill Crust: Place the pie crust in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to prevent shrinking during baking. Preheat oven to 425°F while chilling.
- Blind Bake Crust: Line the crust with parchment paper or foil, fill with pie weights or dry beans/rice, and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Remove weights and bake an additional 5 minutes until the bottom begins to brown. Let cool.
- Cook Sweet Potatoes: Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick potatoes with a fork and wrap in foil. Bake on a sheet for about 1 hour until very soft.
- Make Sweet Potato Filling: Scoop cooked sweet potato flesh into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, about 2 cups. In a large bowl, combine mashed sweet potato, brown sugar, eggs, evaporated milk, melted butter, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix until smooth.
- Fill Pie Crust: Pour the sweet potato mixture into the par-baked pie crust, spreading evenly.
- Bake Pie: Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 25-35 minutes until edges are set and the center jiggles slightly. Cool to room temperature for about 1 hour, then chill at least 2 hours before topping.
- Prepare Swiss Meringue: Set up a double boiler with simmering water. In a heat-safe bowl, whisk egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar. Place the bowl over simmering water, whisking constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture reaches 160°F, about 3-4 minutes.
- Whip Meringue: Transfer bowl to a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on high until stiff peaks form and the meringue is no longer warm, about 10-15 minutes. If not stiff, chill bowl for 10 minutes and continue beating.
- Finish Pie: Spread the Swiss meringue over the chilled sweet potato pie evenly. Use a culinary torch to toast the meringue to a golden brown, creating a beautiful finish.
Notes
- Ensure the eggs and egg whites are at room temperature to achieve better volume when whipping the meringue.
- Chilling the pie crust before baking helps prevent shrinkage.
- Blind baking the crust ensures a crisp bottom that won’t get soggy.
- Use a culinary torch carefully to toast the meringue evenly without burning.
- Allow the pie to chill thoroughly before adding the meringue topping to maintain structure.
- Pumpkin pie spice can be substituted with a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves if unavailable.
