Try Sweet Potato Tart For A Different Dessert

This year, rather than prepare a traditional pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, I’ve been working on a new creation: a sweet potato tart with a pecan streusel topping.

I pureed sweet potatoes and combined them with cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, bourbon, spices and eggs and then added this mixture to a pre-cooked pie shell. I baked the tart to set the filling, then spread a streusel cover of chopped pecans, butter, sugar and flour over it. The tart then needs a few more minutes of baking to brown the topping and the crust.

Even though this pie is delicious served unadorned, I like to offer each slice drizzled with warm caramel sauce. Or, you could enhance each serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream flavored with bourbon.

Sweet Potato Tart With Pecan Streusel Topping

Crust:

1-1/4 cups flour

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, well chilled, cut into small pieces

2-1/2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, well chilled, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk

2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1-1/4 cups cooked, peeled, mashed sweet potatoes (1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pounds raw unpeeled sweet potatoes; see note)

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 large eggs

1-1/2 tablespoons bourbon

Streusel Topping:

6 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup unsalted butter, well chilled, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup purchased caramel sauce, heated, optional

Place flour, powdered sugar and salt in bowl of food processor and pulse several times to mix. Add butter and shortening and process, pulsing, until mixture resembles oatmeal flakes. With machine running, add egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water and process until ball of dough forms, adding more water if necessary.

Transfer dough to lightly floured surface and using heel of hand, smear about 1/4 cup at a time across work surface to form 1 (6-inch) strip. Continue until all dough is smeared. Gather dough together and repeat process. Flatten dough into disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 1 day.

On lightly floured surface, roll dough into circle 12 inches in diameter. Transfer dough to 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges so that 1/2 inch overhangs, then push overhanging dough against inside edge of shell to reinforce sides.

Pierce bottom of dough all over with fork. Line pie shell with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 375 degrees on center rack 10 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake until light golden brown, 15 minutes more. Remove but maintain oven temperature.

Beat cream cheese and sour cream in bowl of electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar. Beat in sweet potatoes, cinnamon, ginger and cloves until blended, about 1 minute. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Beat in bourbon. Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake 20 minutes.

Meanhile, prepare streusel topping. Using fingertips, mix flour and butter in medium bowl until small clumps form. With fork, mix in pecans and sugar, breaking up any large clumps.

Remove tart from oven after 20 minutes and spread streusel evenly over top. Return to oven and bake until crust and topping have browned lightly, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove and cool. (Tart can be made 5 to 6 hours ahead. Cover loosely with foil and leave at cool room temperature.)

To serve, cut into 6 to 8 wedges and drizzle with warm caramel sauce.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings, without optional caramel sauce: 739 calories, 45.6 grams fat (56 percent fat calories), 11 grams protein, 72 grams carbohydrate, 192 milligrams cholesterol, 196 milligrams sodium.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings, using nonfat cream cheese and nonfat sour cream, without optional caramel sauce: 633 calories, 29.7 grams fat (42 percent fat calories), 14 grams protein, 75 grams carbohydrate, 153 milligrams cholesterol, 302 milligrams sodium.

Note: Sweet potatoes can be peeled and cubed, then steamed, microwaved or cooked in boiling water until tender. Puree or mash to make 1-1/4 cups.