black sesame sweet potato pie
Although I'll always add some Asian flavors to Thanksgiving sides, I have to say that I will always go for a classic pecan pie for dessert! But at a book event I hosted with award-winning food writer Cathy Erway, we were asked my thoughts on pies with an Asian twist and there was a suggestion of using black sesame, I knew I had to make this! I used the Classic Pie Crust recipe from Voila Vegan by Amanda Bankert--make the crust and steam the sweet potatoes a day in advance, or you can use a ready-made crust.
ingredients
Makes one 10-inch pie
FOR THE PIE CRUST (Voila Vegan)
6 Tbsp plant milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1.5 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup (50 g) vegetable shortening
4 Tbsp (56 g) cold vegan butter, cut into small dice
FOR THE FILLING
1lb (450 g) purple sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large dice
8 oz (225 g) soft tofu
1 cup (90 g) black sesame powder
2/3 cup (130 g) sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) aquafaba (chickpea water)
1/4 cup (60 ml) plant milk
6 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp agar agar powder
method
MAKE THE CRUST
Mix the plant milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and set aside
Place the flour, salt, sugar, shortening, and butter into a large bowl. Use your fingertips to incorporate the fats evenly into the flour until the mixture looks like sand.
Gradually pour in rhe soured plant milk (you might not use all of this), stirrig until the flour starts to clump together. Form the dough into a large disc and place into an airtight container. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Lightly dust your countertop with flour and roll the dough out into a large circle that is 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter, about 1/8 inch (3mm) thick. Rotate the dough and dust the surface a few times whilst rolling this out to prevent it from sticking to the countertop. Carefully place it onto your pie pan and trim or crimp the edges, if desired. Gently prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. Save any leftover scraps if you want to decorate the pie with cut out dough shapes. Place the pie pan into the fridge overnight.
MAKE THE FILLING
Place a steamer basket and 1 inch (25 mm) of water into a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Place the diced sweet potatoes into the basket and bring the water to a boil on high heat. When steaming turn the heat down to medium and steam the sweet potato for 15 to 30 minutes or until they are soft and can easily be pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
ASSEMBLE AND BAKE
In a blender of food processor, puree the sweet potatoes with the tofu. Add the sesame powder, sugar, aquafaba, plant milk, cornstarch, vanilla extract, ginger powder, salt, and agar agar and pulse until the ingredients are incorporated into a thick, smooth puree-paste.
Preheat the oven to 425*F (220*C)
Line the pie pan with foil or parchment paper and weigh it down with either dried beans or sugar. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pan after 10 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and turn the heat down to 325°F (165°C). Store the beans for future baking (or use the toasted sugar in your tea or baking). Remove the foil or parchment paper.
Pour the filling into the par-baked pie shell, spreading it out evenly. Bake for 75 to 80 minutes until the top is set and the center of the pie is still a little jiggly. Let cool for one hour before placing it (uncovered) in the refrigerator to set. Serve with ice cream of choice!
