Brûléed Sweet Potato & Herb Pies Recipe
These little savory pies are the perfect bite size appetizers or snacks. They feature whipped goat cheese on top.
Equipment
- 1 mini silicone muffin tray silicone make it much easier to get the pies out. You can also use little tart presses
- 1 blow torch
- 1 Handheld immersion blender
Ingredients
- 3 sweet potatoes
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 fresh sage leaves
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 8 tbsp butter
- 4-6 tbsp ice water
- 1 tsp salt
- 12 tsp sugar
- 5 tbsp goat cheese
- 2 tsp greek yogurt
Instructions
Make the Shortcrust Pastry: Start by making a buttery shortcrust base. I loosely followed the Spruce Eats recipe, but swapped in salted butter and skipped any extra salt.
- Place the flour in a large mixing bowl.
- Cut cold butter into cubes and add to the flour. Rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs — be careful not to melt the butter!
- Gradually add cold water, mixing with a knife until the dough starts to come together.
- Shape it into a thick square, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to rest and firm up.
Prepare the Sweet Potato Filling: While the dough chills, get started on the filling.
- Peel and chop your sweet potatoes into chunks (smaller pieces cook faster).
- Boil in salted water until fork-tender, then drain well.
- Finely chop the garlic, sage, and thyme, then place on top of cooked sweet potatoes. Use a handheld immersion blender to puree the sweet potato until smooth and everything is mixed together.
- Set aside to cool.
Make the Whipped Goat Cheese: For a tangy, creamy topping
- Mix goat cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth and fluffy.
- Spoon into a piping bag and refrigerate — this will make piping later cleaner and easier.
Shape & Blind Bake the Pastry: Once the dough is chilled and firm
- Let it sit at room temp for a few minutes if too stiff.
- Roll it out thinly on a floured surface, then cut into 24 small circles.
- Line each mini pie tin or muffin tin hole with a pastry circle.
- Blind bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes to set the base.
Fill & Bake
- Remove the pastry shells from the oven.
- Spoon the herbed sweet potato filling into each shell, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon.
- Return to the oven and bake for 30 minutes at the same temperature.
- Once baked, let the pies cool on a wire rack.
Brûlée the Tops
- Sprinkle about ½ tsp of sugar evenly over each pie.
- Time for the fun part: brûlée! Using a kitchen blowtorch, caramelize the sugar until it melts, bubbles, and hardens into a glossy shell. (Tip: Keep the flame a few inches away to avoid burning.)
Finish with Whipped Goat Cheese
- Once the brûlée is set and cooled slightly, pipe a swirl or dollop of the whipped goat cheese on top.
- Optional but beautiful: finish with edible lavender flowers or a sprig of fresh thyme for garnish.
Serve & Enjoy
- Serve at room temperature and watch your guests be very impressed.