Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Crust

Step 2

Make the pecan crust: Place the pecans in a food processor and pulverize until finely ground. Add the flour, ginger, salt and cinnamon and pulse to combine. Transfer the flour mixture to a mixing bowl.

Step 3

Cut the the butter into ¼-inch cubes and chill in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Step 4

Add the chilled butter into the flour mixture and, using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is mealy with pea-size pieces of butter. Add the ice water and mix using a rubber spatula until a loose dough forms. If the dough seems too dry, add a little more ice water.

Step 5

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.

Step 6

Make the sweet potato filling: Preheat oven to 350°. Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined sheet tray and roast until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven; let cool. Peel and scrape out the flesh, discarding the skin. You should have 2 cups of cooked sweet potatoes.

Step 7

Transfer the sweet potatoes, along with the remaining ingredients, into the bowl of a food processor and purée until smooth; set aside.

Step 8

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and transfer it to a floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to an ⅛-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch nonstick pie pan and trim excess dough around the edge of the pan; crimp edges of the crust decoratively. Poke a hole in dough at the bottom of the pan using a fork and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Step 9

Remove the dough from the fridge. Place a large piece of parchment over the pie dough and fill with dried beans or rice (to weigh down the crust).

Step 10

Bake dough until fragrant and light golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove the dough and discard the beans and parchment; let cool.

Step 11

Pour the sweet potato mixture into the pie and bake until the filling is just set, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before slicing, about 2 hours.