Ube Pie

Not the right potato! 

A bakery across the street from my work made an ube pie for thanksgiving so that inspired me to try this recipe! I did not use the crust recipe, but rather the pecan crust recipe from the Sister Pie cookbook. It took 3 tries to finally get ube! The first time, my husband bought purple potato. The second time, the potato was purple on the outside, but then yellow on the inside The third time, my daughter and I finally found the right potato, which was yellow on the outside, and purple on the inside. We saw it also labeled as Hawaiian potato.

Ube Pie (~from New York Times)

Ingredients

For the crust (did not use):

·        5 ounces/140 grams graham crackers (1 sleeve), pulsed into fine crumbs in a food processor (about 1 cup)

·        3 tablespoons/35 grams granulated sugar

·        ½ teaspoon kosher salt

·        ¼ cup/55 grams unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted

For the ube filling:

·        1 (1-pound/455-gram) package frozen grated ube (see Tip), defrosted

·        ½ cup/100 grams granulated sugar

·        ½ packed cup/110 grams light brown sugar

·        2 large eggs

·        5 tablespoons/70 grams unsalted butter, melted

·        ⅓ cup/80 milliliters heavy cream

·        ½ teaspoon ube flavoring (optional)

·        ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1.      Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the crust: In a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt. Stir in the melted butter (mixture will look like wet sand). Press into the bottom and up the sides of a standard (not deep-dish) 9-inch pie pan; set aside.

2.      Prepare the filling: Remove grated ube from package and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons water. Microwave until cooked, 3 to 4 minutes. (The mixture should feel smooth between your fingers, like thick mashed potato.) Measure out 1 1/4 cups/300 grams cooked ube, and reserve the remainder for another use.

3.      Transfer the 1 1/4 cups cooked ube to a food processor. Add the granulated sugar and light brown sugar and process on low until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, melted butter, heavy cream, ube flavoring, if using, and salt, and process just until combined and no streaks remain. Pour filling into prepared crust.

4.      Bake pie on center rack until slightly puffed around the edges and just set in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely before serving at room temperature or chilled. Covered and refrigerated, the pie will keep up to 2 days.

Tip

·        Though Okinawa sweet potatoes are botanically not the same vegetable as ube, the same amount of peeled, steamed and mashed Japanese purple sweet potato can be substituted in this recipe, if desired. It will be just as vibrant in color, though the flavor will shift slightly: Ube has a caramelized vanilla flavor, while Japanese sweet potatoes have a nuttier flavor.