Sweet Potato Pie with Brandy Filling

Ingredients:

Dough

• 1 and 3/4 cups of premium flour + extra for working with the dough
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 110 g chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 5-6 tablespoons of ice water
• Coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Filling

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 450 g)
• 1 cup low-fat cream (10%)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tbsp. brandy or cognac
• 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• A pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. Dough:
   
   Combine the flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add half the butter and pulse until smooth. Add the remaining butter; pulse until the mixture resembles coarse curry with pea-sized pieces of butter. Add 5 tablespoons of ice water; pulse a few more times until the dough comes together when pressed (add another 1 tablespoon of ice water if necessary).
2. Place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap and gather it into a ball, using the wrap as a guide. Transfer about one-sixth of the dough to another piece of plastic wrap and form it into a disk. Form the remaining dough into a larger disk; wrap both disks in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 175°C.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the large disk of dough into a 12-inch (30-cm) circle. Place the dough in a 9-inch (22-cm) pie pan; fold the overhanging edges under and crimp with your fingers. Refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes. Roll out the small disk of dough to about 1/4 inch (0.5-cm) thick; cut out shapes using 2-inch (5-cm) cookie cutters.
5. Place the dough figures on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.
6. Line the pastry pan with foil and fill with dry beans or pie weights. Bake until the edges of the pie are lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until the bottom is dry and golden, about 15 minutes more. Meanwhile, brush the pastry shapes with water and sprinkle with coarse sugar; bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Let the pastry and shapes cool completely.
7. While the cake is cooling, prepare the filling.:
   
   Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork. Bake until very tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool slightly, then peel and blend in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the cream, granulated sugar, eggs, brandy, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, and blend until smooth. Spread the filling over the cooled crust.
8. Bake until the filling begins to set, 30-35 minutes. Arrange the figurines on the pie and continue baking until the crust is golden brown, the filling is completely set, and puffed in the center, another 30 minutes. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 4 hours.