Tempting Fate with Sweet Potato Pie
Horror of horrors! I just got off the phone with my Mom and she told me no one is baking a pie for Thanksgiving this year! Since I’m crazy and craving some seriously good sweet potato pie, I’ve decided to take it upon myself to make it. Now, I should warn you. I’ve never made a sweet potato pie. And I’m not going to lie, normally I buy frozen pie crusts, because patience is a virtue I don’t always have, but this year I want the real deal. No substitutions. So I’m going to attempt to make a pie. From scratch. And not just any pie, but the best sweet potato pie ever. I’m not going into this blind by the way. I fully realize that what I’m attempting to do could be considered utter lunacy, seeing as I have exactly 1.5 days to do this, but why not tempt fate, right? So I’ve got my pie plate ready, and as far as the recipe goes, I’m using a friend’s recipe for the pie crust, which I have been forbidden to share. And I’m going to use the filling recipe I found on our website from All Clad. I’ll be sure to post my family’s review of the pie after Thanksgiving. Wish me luck!
Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients:
1 10 inch-prebaked piecrust, or pie crust recipe of your choosing.
2 tablespoons plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 3 cups whole pecans
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup plus 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Half & Half
2 eggs beaten
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
5 tablespoons heavy cream
Directions:
- Prepare the pre-baked piecrust. Make a praline layer by melting 2 tablespoons of butter in an All-Clad 1.5-quart Saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of pecans and 1/2 cup of brown sugar and cook this mixture for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly. Pour this mixture into the piecrust and spread evenly.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the mashed sweet potatoes, 1/3-cup brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt, Half & Half and eggs in a medium size bowl and whisk until well blended.
- Pour this custard mixture over the praline layer and bake for 18 minutes turning the pie once or twice to ensure even cooking.
- In the meantime, prepare the topping by combining 4 tablespoons of butter, corn syrup, heavy cream, 3/4 cup of brown sugar and 3 cups of pecans in an All-Clad 4-quart Saucepan. Simmer this mixture slowly while stirring constantly, approximately 5-7 minutes or until thick and bubbly.
- Remove the pie from the oven; spread the topping mixture evenly over the pie and bake for 12 more minutes until done. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
