Gary’s Sweet Potato Short Crust Pastry

Method

• Bake the sweet potatoes for 45min at 190° fan
• Let the sweet potatoes cool a little before scooping the flesh out from the skin
• Mash the sweet potatoes and add coconut oil
• Mix all the dry ingredients into one
• Add the dry ingredients to the sweet potato mash in 2-3 stages while mixing to create the dough
• Aim for a firm dough (not too wet) – stop adding dry ingredients if firm enough, add more if not firm enough. This is dependent on the sweet potato you use and how much water was extracted from roasting.
• Oil the pastry/tart mould with coconut oil
• Scoop the dough directly into the mould and use a spoon or hand to press it flat
• Make sure the corners and sides walls get enough dough to ensure the integrity of the shape
• Let the raw pastry cool in the fridge for an hour (you can skip this if you’re in a hurry)
• Use a fork to evenly prick the base of the pastry to create air pockets
• Blind bake the pastry by lining it with parchment and filling the mould with pulses (rice, or dry beans, or sugar, or baking beads) for 15min at 220°
• Remove the parchment and pulse and bake for a further 10min or until it feels right (hard enough for the shape to hold but not burnt).
• Let the pastry cool before adding the filling.
• Remember the pastry will fully cook when you baked it again with the filling.