Good Eats Sweet Potato Pie By Alton Brown Food

GOOD EATS SWEET POTATO PIE BY ALTON BROWN

Steps:

• Place cubed and peeled sweet potato into steamer basket, then put basket into a large pot of simmering water that is not closer than 2 inches from steamer basket. Let steam for about twenty minutes or until soft for mashing. Mash and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Add to sweet potatoes the yogurt, cinnamon nutmeg, brown sugar, salt (to taste), and egg yolks; mix until completely combined. Pour into pie shell and place onto cookie sheet. Sprinkle pecans on top and drizzle with the maple syrup.
• Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until pie reaches 165 to 180 degrees. Remove from oven and cool for about an hour. Refrigerate after cooling.

GOOD EATS POCKET PIES (ALTON BROWN 2005)

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Pulse for a few seconds and then pour into a large mixing bowl.
• Add the shortening and knead it into the flour with your hands until it is crumbly. Add the milk all at once and mix in with a spatula until it begins to come together.
• Lightly flour your hands and the countertop and turn the dough out onto the countertop. Knead the dough ball, folding over 10 to 20 times. Using a rolling pin roll the dough to 1/3 to 1/2-inch thickness, then cut into rounds using a 2 1/4-inch ring. Roll each round as thinly as possible or to 5 to 6 inches in diameter.
• Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling onto the dough, brush the edges of half of the dough lightly with the egg wash, fold over and seal the edges together with the tines of a fork, dipping it into flour as needed.
• Gently press down to flatten and evenly distribute the filling and snip or cut 3 slits in the top of the pie. Dock pies that are going to be deep-fried, instead of snipping or cutting slits.
• TO PAN FRY PIES: Place a medium saute pan over medium low heat along with 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable, canola oil or butter.
• Once heated, place 2-3 pies at a time into pan & saute until golden on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Allow to cool 4 to 5 minutes before serving.
• TO DEEP FRY PIES: Heat vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or a large heavy pot to 375 degrees F. Once hot, add 1 to 2 pies at a time and fry until golden brown, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
• TO BAKE PIES: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place finished pies onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• TO MAKE TOASTER PASTRIES: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Divide dough in half and roll out to less than 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 4 inch by 5 inch rectangles.
• Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling onto center of one piece of dough. Brush the edges with egg wash and top with second piece of dough. Seal edges by pressing together with tine of fork. Gently press down to flatten and evenly distribute the filling and dock the top of the pie. Repeat with second half of dough. Bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, allow to cool completely and place into zip-top bags until ready to toast. The pies will not be brown until toasted.
• MANGO FILLING: Place all of the ingredients into a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Transfer to a bowl and place in refrigerator to cool completely before using as filling. For each pie place 1 to 2 tablespoons onto the center of the dough. Follow directions above.
• CHOCOLATE FILLING: Place the sugar, cocoa powder, and butter into a large zip-top bag and squish to combine. Cut a whole in 1 corner of the bag. For each pie, pipe 1 to 2 tablespoons of mixture onto the center of the dough. Follow directions above.

SUPER APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For the crust:
• Place the butter, shortening and applejack into the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar by pulsing 3 to 4 times. Add the butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until the texture looks mealy. Add the shortening and pulse another 3 to 4 times until incorporated.
• Remove the lid of the food processor and sprinkle in 5 tablespoons of the applejack. Replace the lid and pulse 5 times. Add more applejack as needed, and pulse again until the mixture holds together when squeezed. Weigh the dough and divide in half. Shape each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• For the filling:
• Peel and core the apples. Slice into 1/2-inch thick wedges. Toss all of the apples with 1/4 cup of the sugar, place in a colander set over a large bowl and allow to drain for 1 1/2 hours.
• Transfer the drained liquid to a small saucepan, place over medium heat and reduce to 2 tablespoons. Set aside to cool. Toss the apples with the remaining sugar, tapioca flour, jelly, cider, lime juice, salt and grains of paradise.
• For assembling and baking the pie:
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator. Place the dough onto a lightly floured piece of waxed paper. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and roll out into a 12-inch circle. Place into a 9 1/2 to 10-inch tart pan that is 2-inches deep. Gently press the dough into the sides of the pan, crimping and trimming the edges as necessary. Set a pie bird in the center of the bottom of the pan.
• Place the apples into the unbaked pie shell in concentric circles starting around the edges, working towards the center and forming a slight mound in the center of the pie. Pour over any liquid that remains in the bowl. Roll out the second pie dough as the first. Place this dough over the apples, pressing the pie bird through the top crust. Press together the edges of the dough around the rim of the pie. Brush the top crust with the reduced juice everywhere except around the edge of pie. Trim any excess dough. Place the pie on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake on the floor** of the oven for 30 minutes. Transfer to the lower rack of the oven and continue to bake another 20 minutes or until the apples are cooked through but not mushy. Remove to a rack and cool a minimum of 4 hours or until almost room temperature.

ALTON BROWN'S CHIPOTLE SMASHED SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Put cubed potatoes into steamer basket and place steamer into a large pot of simmering water.
• Steam potatoes for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
• Add butter to potatoes and mash with potato masher.
• Add peppers, sauce, and salt and continue mashing to combine.
• Serve immediately.