Sweet Potato Chiffon Tart

A Happy & Sweet Thanksgiving to all!

I usually have my in-laws over every year to celebrate Thanksgiving. My mother-in-law grew up with Southern Cooking and her family always had Sweet Potato Pie for Thanksgiving. She does not cook very much now and I thought this tart will bless her and bring back lots of good memories ! Instead of making the traditional sweet potato pie I made small individual tarts this year. Add a new twist to it and make it lighter. I thought this will be a sweet light ending to a heavy turkey dinner. Here is to you Mom! Enjoy!

PIE CRUST :
8 ounces or 1 4/5 cup all-purpose flour
2 ounces or 1/4 cup sugar or powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 ounces (1 stick plus 1 Tbs. chilled butter or shortening)- cut into 1/2 inch cubes 
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Place flour, sugar or powdered sugar and salt into the food processor bowl and pulse to mix.

Add in chilled cubed butter and pulse until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. 

With the motor on, pour the beaten egg and vanilla mixture through the feed tube in a steady stream until the dough starts coming together.  Do not over mixed. 

Chill the dough for about 1/2 hour.


Remove chilled dough, and divide into small pieces to shape to 1½ inch balls.  For the size of my tart pans, I weigh 1 ounce pieces of dough.

Shape the pieces of dough into balls and press it slightly to a 2” disks.  Using your two thumbs, press the disks lightly into the tart molds.  Let the pastry be slightly thicker all around the rim.   Repeat until all the tart pans are filled with the crust.

Dock/prick the base of the tart with a fork. Use a piece of foil to cover the prepared crust, line the foil-covered tart pans with either ceramic pie weights, dried beans or loose change if you have neither of the first two.  

Bake the crust at a pre-heated 375 degrees oven until it feels firm, but is still very pale in color (about 10 minutes).   Remove  the foil and weights and bake another 10 minutes until the bottom surface is lightly brown.

Cool the pie crusts on a wire rack for 5 minutes and the pie shell should slide out of the pans quite easily.  Leave it to cool and start to prepare the filling.

FILLING :

3 ' Large' egg yolks

1 1/2 cups of half and half (or whole milk)

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 envelope of Knox gelatine

2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes (preferably fresh)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

3 egg whites

2 Tablespoon sugar

In a pan add in 3 yolks, whisk it slightly and add in half and half, sugar and gelatine.  Mix well and cook on medium heat.  Stir constantly to bring it to a boil.  Remove mixture from heat, add in mashed sweet potatoes and spices.  Chill mixture until stiff and thick.

Beat egg white for a minute, add in sugar and whisk until stiff.  Fold egg white into the cooled sweet potato mixture.  Scoop or pipe filling into the prepared tart shells.

Chill overnight.