Ube is a mild, sweet purple yam I love. It colors pandesal, a Filipino breakfast bread. I wanted to make a pie of it this Thanksgiving. This is a rich and vibrant holiday dessert recipe that can be used as a “move-over pumpkin cake”. It was a first-time experience for everyone I served it. It was delicious, according to all of them. This pie is great if you love sweet potato or pumpkin pie.
Here are some notes. Any unbaked pie dough can be used. My salted butter crust was used, but I modified the process a bit to achieve more flake. I used the same ingredients but pulsed the food processor rather than letting it run. Some of the butter chunks were larger than a pea. When the mixture was still crumbly, I added it to the crust and pulsed it once more. After pressing it together, I rolled it into a rectangle the size of a book. Then I folded it in half again and rolled it into the same-sized rectangle. It was folded again. I rounded the edges to make a disc and put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes. You’ll be able to see the difference.
This recipe calls to use butter and cream. You can also use milk if you want to make it lighter. You might also consider vegan butter and oat milk if you aren’t a fan of dairy. You can reduce the sweetness by 1/4 cup. You can also search for ube in the treasure hunt, which is a purple-colored yam. It can be found at New Sagaya Midtown, or other Asian markets, in the produce section. This recipe can also be made with Okinawan sweet potatoes or purple sweet potatoes. These are available at Fred Meyer, Safeway and other stores. Frozen grated ube can be used. Cover it with water and cook on high for 3-4 minutes until it is soft. Drain it. You will need about 1 1/2 cups cream whipped with 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, vanilla and enough cream to make enough cream for each slice.
Ube pie
Serves 10
Ingredients:
1 lb, skin-on purple sweet potato or purple yam/ube
1 stick salted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 unbaked pie crust 9 inches in diameter
Serve with whipped cream and freshly grated nutsmug.
Method: Place sweet potatoes/ube into a saucepan and cover with water. Boil over medium heat for 45-50 minutes or until tender. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F
Take the potatoes out of the heat and let them cool. You can peel them or remove the soft meat. There should be approximately 2 cups of potato/yam.
Blend potato/yam with soft butter, sweeteners and cream in a blender. Add vanilla, salt, spice, vanilla, and egg. Mix until smooth. Place in a unbaked pie crust. Bake for 55 minutes or until the center is set. It will rise slightly and then drop a little. Let cool completely before adding whipped cream. Add freshly grated nutmeg to the top.
The Anchorage Daily News originally published this story. It is republished with permission.
