Success! I’m happy to report that the sweet potato pie was a big hit. Everybody raved about it including my Aunt, who doesn’t really like sweet potatoes, but tried it anyway. Although, I did have some initial doubts while I was making it: the potatoes seemed lumpy, the filling was bright orange, and crust looked like it was browning a little too quickly. But overall, the pie was wonderful. The filling tasted great. It was wonderfully fresh, and much better than anything you could buy at a store, and it actually tasted like sweet potato and not pumpkin. I would definitely make this again. Also this was the first time I’d ever baked in a glass pie plate, and I have to say, I’m impressed. It really did a great job of evenly heating the crust, and made it easier to see how thoroughly the crust was baking. I highly recommend getting a glass pie plate for your next pie adventure!
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.
Any foodie interested in pursuing the “bakeside” will find a reward that triumphs over any
mishap; the house will never smell more yummy. So fear not.
My first baking forage had to be something my peers ( my co-workers are excellent bakers
and the tasters are a fussy bunch) had little experience with so i
chose a southern staple perfect for the Thanksgiving table: sweet potato pie.
I first tasted this treat at a barbeque joint outside of Asheville, NC and fell in love
immediately. A look at recipe websites revealed a meager ingredient list and easy method.
So i dug in. My nod to simplicity will make baking purists guffaw but don’t despair…
there is much time in January when it is quiet to master pie dough technique…..enjoy…
Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients:
3 lbs unpeeled sweet potatoes, scrubbed
1 cup sugar, or to taste
3/4 stick melted unsalted butter
lowfat milk, as needed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg, or to taste
2 nine inch unbaked graham cracker pie crusts
1 8 oz. container cool whip, if desired
Method:
Bring large pot of water to rolling boil. Add potatoes and cook until easily pierced with a fork.
Carefully remove from pot and cool. When cool enough to touch (about 1/2 hour), slip off skins (and first layer of potato if using very large potatoes).
Pass through RSVP Potato Ricer into large bowl. Add sugar and butter, blend thoroughly.
You are looking for a dense, babyfood consistency with no lumps. Taste for sweetness level and thickness, as potatoes vary in sugar and water content. If filling is too thick, add milk. Add spices, mix well and retaste.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Pour filling slowly into prepared pie crusts.
Smooth filling carefully and fill only 3/4 the way up.
Place pies on baking sheet and cook 50-60 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean. Add whipped topping if desired.
Makes 2 pies.
