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Mini Sweet Potato Pies

Mini Sweet Potato Pies
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Mindy Segal, James Beard Foundation's Outsanding Pastry Chef in 2012, created this seasonal dessert out of a classic fall staple: sweet potatoes. All of our favorite Thanksgiving ingredients are there, too, from maple syrup and cinnamon to a cranberry syrup.
Servings
6
servings
Ingredients
  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/3 cup cane sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon bourbon
  • 2 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoon melted and browned butter
  • 1 stick butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon molasses
  • 1/3 cup cake flour
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon grated, fresh ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
  • pinch of black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup stout beer, such as moloko stout
  • 3/4 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cranberry juice
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • vanilla extract
  • salt, to taste
  • 10 large marshmallows
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until soft and the potatoes' natural sugars start to caramelize, about 45 minutes. Let cool to warm, remove the skin, and purée until smooth.
  3. Once the sweet potato purée has cooled completely, whisk in the egg yolk and cane sugar. Season with a pinch of salt, then add the maple syrup, bourbon, heavy cream, and the melted brown butter. Set aside until ready to assemble.
  4. Cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are evenly combined. Add the egg, vanilla, and molasses and stir well to combine. Scrape the bowl again to make sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated. Next add the flours, graham cracker crumbs, salt, and spices and slowly incorporate. Make sure the dough is mixed thoroughly, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  5. For the stout butterscotch, combine the brown sugars, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, the butter, and stout in a heavy saucepot and heat until melted and boiling. Add the cream in two batches: first add ½ cup and reduce for 1 minute, then add the rest and reduce for a minute more. Add salt to taste; the butterscotch should be slightly salty.
  6. For the cranberry syrup, combine the cranberries, sugar, the juices, the vanilla bean, and a dash of vanilla extract in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Turn to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh strainer and let cool.
  7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 6 individual pie tins or a 9-inch pie tin with vegetable oil and line with the dough. Freeze for 10 minutes, then wrap pie tin with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang. Fill the pie tin with beans, rice, or pie weights and wrap the overhang over the pie weights. Bake until the crust is cooked through but not browned, about 15 minutes. Take the weights out and fill with the sweet potato filling. Baking until the filling is set, about 15 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, broil the marshamllows in the oven for about 30-60 seconds until they're brown and toasted. Serve the pies cool and topped with toasted marshamllows, the buttescotch, and cranberry syrup.
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