Cardamom-Scented Sweet Potato Pie
- 1 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
- 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chilled shortening
- 5 to 6 tablespoons ice water
- Garnishes: sweetened whipped cream, ground cinnamon
- Arrange sweet potato in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam 20 minutes or until very tender.
- While sweet potato cooks, process cinnamon and cardamom seeds in a coffee grinder or blender until finely ground; set aside, reserving 1/4 teaspoon for top of pie.
- When sweet potato is done, cool slightly, and process in a food processor until smooth. Whisk together spices (except for 1/4 teaspoon), sweet potato, eggs, and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
- Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the size of small peas. Sprinkle ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, evenly over surface; stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape dough into a ball. Roll dough to about 1/4" thickness on a lightly floured surface. Fit into an ungreased 9 1/2" deep-dish fluted tart pan; trim off excess pastry along edges. Line tart shell with aluminum foil, pressing foil into the flutes. Trim foil to within 1/2" of top of pan. Fold foil down over top edge of crust to prevent overbrowning.
- Bake at 425u0b0 for 15 minutes; remove foil, and bake 7 minutes or until pastry is golden. Reduce oven temperature to 350u0b0. With tart pan still on oven rack, pull out rack; pour filling into pastry, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon spices. Bake at 350u0b0 for 1 hour or until set. Cool completely before serving. Garnish, if desired. Store in refrigerator.
- Note: If you don't have a fluted tart pan, you can bake this pie in 2 (9") glass pieplates. Fit each piecrust (from a 15-ounce package refrigerated piecrusts) into a 9" pieplate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp. (No need to prebake crusts for these smaller pies.) Pour filling evenly into 2 prepared piecrusts. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon spices. Bake at 450u0b0 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350u0b0; bake 30 more minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack. (Pies will be thin.) Or bake pies using 2 frozen piecrusts.
- Tip: Use a meat mallet to break cinnamon stick before placing in coffee grinder. Tap cardamom pods lightly with mallet to release seeds.
sweet potatoes, cinnamon, cardamom seeds, eggs, sugar, orange zest, vanilla, salt, flour, salt, chilled shortening, water
Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cardamom-scented-sweet-potato-pie (may not work)