Cuban-American Sweet Potato and Coconut Pie with Cinnamon

Pastry and sweet potato

1. Mix the 250 g flour with the sugar and salt for the pastry. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles crumbs with small visible pieces of butter.

   

2. Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together. Without overworking it, form it into a disc, wrap it and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. While the dough chills, cut the peeled sweet potato and steam for 20–25 minutes, until tender. Drain well, mash into a smooth, thick purée and let cool until lukewarm. Weigh out 500 g of purée.

   

Crust and filling

4. Preheat the oven to 190 °C. On a surface dusted with the reserved flour, roll out the chilled dough to about 3 mm thick. Line a 23 cm pie pan, form a thick fluted edge and lightly prick the base with a fork.

   

5. Cover the pastry with parchment paper and pie weights. Blind bake for 12–15 minutes; remove the paper and weights and let the crust cool until lukewarm.
6. Mix the 500 g lukewarm or cold purée with the brown sugar, lukewarm butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and pinch of salt.
7. Beat the eggs separately and add them to the purée, which should no longer be hot. Add the coconut milk and, if desired, the 20 g shredded coconut for the filling. Mix without overbeating until smooth and thick.

   

Baking and presentation

8. Pour the filling into the prebaked crust and smooth the surface. If desired, brush the pastry edge with the tablespoon of milk.

   

9. Lower the oven temperature to 175 °C and bake for 45–55 minutes, until the edges of the filling are firm and the center barely jiggles without being liquid. If the edge browns too much, protect it with aluminum foil.
10. Let the pie cool for at least 90 minutes on a wire rack. If using shredded coconut for garnish and it is not already toasted, brown it briefly in a dry skillet over low heat and let it cool.
11. If desired, garnish with a little of the toasted coconut and serve in 8 triangular slices.