Create these delightful homemade sweet potatoes and pecan pies for dessert. You can make these individual pecan pies for Thanksgiving or as a wonderful autumn dessert idea for entertaining.
Pastry
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
2 tablespoons icing sugar
125g cold butter, chopped
1 egg yolk
1-2 tablespoons iced water
Method
Grease six 10cm loose based fluted tart tins
Process flour, icing sugar and butter until crumbly. Add egg yolk and enough of the water to make dough come together. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes
Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C. Meanwhile, steam sweet potato until tender. Cool 10 minutes
Divide pastry into six portions. Roll out each and line tins. Chill for 15 minutes. Line pastry with baking paper, fill with dried beans or rice. Bake 10 minutes; remove paper and beans. Bake 5 minutes or until browned lightly
Reduce oven to 180°C/160°C
Filling
Ingredients
500g Sweet Potato, peeled, chopped
1/2 cup (110g) brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup (250ml) pouring cream
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Whipped cream and maple syrup, to serve
Method
Blend or process sweet potato with sugar, paste, spices, cream and eggs until smooth. Pour mixture into pastry cases. Sprinkle with pecans
Bake for 25-30 minutes until set. Cool to room temperature before chilling until firm. Serve topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup