Best Gingersnap Crusted Yams Recipes

GINGERSNAP SWEET POTATO PRALINE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, mix crushed cookies and melted butter. Press onto bottom and up sides of an ungreased 9-in. pie plate. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack., Increase oven setting to 375°. In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 cup brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in sweet potatoes, spices and salt until blended. Beat in egg yolks, milk and vanilla. Pour into crust., Arrange pecans over filling; sprinkle with remaining brown sugar. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover edge loosely with foil during the last 20 minutes if needed to prevent overbrowning. Remove foil. Cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving., In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add maple syrup; beat until stiff peaks form. Serve with pie.

SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE WITH GINGERSNAP CRUST

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.
• Mix the cookie crumbs, brown sugar, butter and salt together in a medium bowl until well blended. Press the mixture into the pie plate. Bake until set and the crust feels firm, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
• To make the cheesecake filling: In a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar and salt, mixing at low speed until the mixture is smooth with no lumps, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and eggs.
• Add the filling to the crust, smooth the top, and chill in the freezer until the filling is sturdy and set up, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• For the sweet potato topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Whisk in the sweet potatoes, half and half, butter, vanilla and eggs until smooth. Pour slowly over the chilled cheesecake filling.
• Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake, covering the edges with foil if it browns too quickly, until set along the outside and the center still has a slight jiggle, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating until ready to serve.

PUMPKIN-CHEESECAKE PIE WITH GINGERSNAP CRUST

Steps:

• Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse gingersnaps and sugar in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add butter and pulse to combine. Press mixture evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake crust until golden in spots, about 15 minutes. With the bottom of a measuring cup, gently flatten bottom and sides of crust. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• Filling: Pulse cream cheese in food processor until smooth. Add sugar and pumpkin and process until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Add egg and yolk, flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; process until incorporated.
• Pour filling into cooled shell and bake until custard is just set, about 33 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Meringue: Combine sugar and egg whites in a heatproof mixing bowl. Set bowl over (not in) a pan of simmering water, whisking until sugar dissolves and whites are warm. Remove from heat. Beat on high speed until thick, glossy stiff peaks form, about 6 minutes.
• Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large leaf tip (such as Ateco #115). Pipe leaves around border of chilled pie, releasing pressure to create tips. Holding a small kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle, 3 inches from surface of meringue, move flame back and forth over meringue until it starts to brown. (Or broil 6 to 8 inches from heat source, about 1 minute.) Serve immediately.

SWEET-POTATO PIE WITH GINGERSNAP PECAN CRUST

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour pie plate, knocking out excess flour.
• Toss together all crust ingredients in a bowl with a fork until crumbs are moistened, then press evenly over bottom and up side of pie plate. Bake crust 6 minutes, then cool on a rack.
• Make filling:
• Increase oven temperature to 400°F.
• Prick each sweet potato once with a fork. Roast in a foil-lined shallow baking pan until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Halve potatoes lengthwise and cool.
• While potatoes cool, cook sugar in a dry 8-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar melts into a deep golden caramel. Remove from heat. Carefully pour water down side of skillet (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously), then return to heat and simmer, stirring, until hardened caramel is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.
• When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel, then cut away any eyes or dark spots. Purée potatoes in a food processor until smooth, then add eggs, cinnamon, and salt and blend until smooth. Add milk, caramel, rum, and vanilla, and blend until combined well.
• Pour filling into crust. Bake until filling 2 inches from edge is slightly puffed and center trembles slightly when gently shaken, 40 to 50 minutes (top may crack; filling will continue to set as it cools). If the crust begins to brown too much before the filling is done, crimp a ring of foil or use a pie shield to protect it. Cool pie on rack about 1 hour.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

SWEET POTATO RUM PIE WITH WALNUT-GINGERSNAP CRUST

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend gingersnap crumbs, walnuts, sugar and salt in processor until walnuts are finely chopped. Add butter and process until mixture forms moist crumbs. Press crust onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter metal pie pan.
• Make filling:
• Purée yams in processor. Add 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cream, brown sugar, egg and yolk, rum, pumpkin pie spice and salt; blend until smooth. Pour into crust. Smooth top. Place walnut halves around edges.
• Bake until filling is set in center, about 40 minutes. Cool pie on rack. Chill until cold. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Pipe or spoon sweetened whipped cream on top of pie between walnuts, if desired.