Okinawan Sweet Potato Haupia Pie

Potatoes and coconut? Just like people, sometimes weird combinations just go together better than you could imagine. We start with a buttery shortbread crust which is covered in a thick, sweet purple layer and topped with a soft and creamy haupia pudding.  Want to impress someone? This one will do the job. This recipe is adapted from Jean Hee's dessert cookbook.

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
4 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2  cup macadamia nuts, chopped (optional)

Okinawan Sweet Potato Layer

4-5 medium sized Okinawan sweet potatoes, chopped in thirds
1/2 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk of your choice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Haupia Layer

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
2 cans coconut milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. While oven is preheating, boil about 4 chopped, medium sized sweet potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until easily poked with a fork and soft.
3. Crust: In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, salt, mac nuts, butter, and flour. Mix together mixture with your hands until it comes together and no longer crumbly.  
4. Press into a 13" x 9" baking pan.  Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned on the edges.  Set aside.
5. Purple layer: The skin of the potatoes should now easily come off after boiling. In a mixing bowl, using a mixer combine the sweet potatoes, butter, sugar, and milk. Then, add in eggs and vanilla.  Continue to mix until well combined.  It's okay if there are potato chunks!
6.  Pour onto crust and bake at 350°F  for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
7. Haupia: In a medium pot, combine sugar and cornstarch.  Add water and stir until everything is dissolved. Add in coconut milk on medium heat and stir every 2 minutes until it starts to thicken. At this point stir constantly until it becomes the consistency of pudding. this will take about 5-7 minutes after it has become hot.  
8. Immediately pour haupia over Okinawan sweet potato mixture.  
9. Refrigerate until cool and haupia firms, about 4-5 hours, overnight is best.
10. Cut into squares and enjoy! I swear the pan is scraped clean at every potluck!