Sweet Potato Pie

[SusanGiff]

Hi. I made my first this weekend, from a recipe in Gracious Plenty, and it was just missing something that I can't put my finger on. Does anyone have a good, traditional, somewhat dense and spicy version to share? I'm thinking of the kind you'd get in a meat-and-three or BBQ place in the South.

Thanks.

[sheetz]

I've made sweet potato pie using the filling for Paula Deen's pumpkin gooey butter cake, substituting sweet potatoes for pumpkin, and thought it was good. I don't know if that fits your description.

[SeanDirty]

I love sweet potato caserole.. i hope thats the same thing were talking about.. the mashed sweet potatoes with mini marshmallows on top??

well first you want to take sweet potatoes... take a fork and prick them all over.... bake them until soft. when they have come out of the oven, peel them all and place them in a bowl... melt butter with a good amount of brown sugar and get some micro planed ginger (sugar and ginger are both to your tastes but remember marshmallows will add a little sweetness...)

Add enough butter to mash the whole thing into mashed potato consistency... place in hotel pan, spread evenly, add mini marshmallows on top and broil until it has slightly browned... mmmmmm im drooling already.

[Katie Meadow]

Oh, stop me now, before I go on and on. I can't stand pumpkin pie but I adore sweet potato pie! When it's simple it's best, and that vegetable quality comes through. I have tried several recipes, but the one I like best is the easiest and least complicated. It's from Martha Stewart's early book Pies and Tarts. I will be making it Wednesday night. Here it is, in the original version. I have tweaked it as indicated to reduce the cholesterol level and it always come out great. I also don't like it very spicy, but it sounds like you do. Martha doesn't use ginger, but that might be a good addition.

5-7 sweet potatoes, depending on size. For a 9 inch pie I find that 2 cups cooked pot. is about right.

3 eggs, lightly beaten (sometimes I only use 2, and no problem)

1/2 c sugar (I cut back a little on this)

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 tsp cinnamon (too much for me, I cut it in half)

1/2 tsp allspice (I use half this)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1 1/2 cups light cream (I use a combo of whole milk and half'n'half)

4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Roast the potatoes in the oven. I puncture with a fork, and put them on foil on a cookie sheet. Takes a while, til they are very soft--at least an hour at 350. Cool, scrape out the potato, mash, and measure 2 cups, or even a bit more.

Make whatever pie crust you like. My husband does this part and I haven't a clue about it. I believe he uses approx half butter half crisco. He rolls it out, puts it in the pie dish and keeps that in the fridge til it's ready to fill.

Put the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Put the eggs, sugar, spices, salt, lemon rind and cream in another bowl and whisk til combined. Pour this into the sweet potatoes and stir til thoroughly combined. Add the melted butter and mix well. Pour into the pie crust and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until filling is set and a knife to the center comes out clean. Cool before slicing.

[Lindacakes]

I have a new book, Heirloom Baking by the Brass Sisters. They have a web site. Everything I have made from that book is top notch. There is a recipe in there for Lord Have Mercy Sweet Potato Pie. If I was going to make one, I'd vote for that one.

[sugarseattle]

one thing to note is remember that you can taste the filling before you bake the pie and adjust seasonings to your liking. I like orange zest with sweet potatoes too...

[SusanGiff]

Thank you all! This actually isn't, believe it or not, for Thanksgiving, because I make a sweet potato casserole with pecans that unfortunately would make the pie redundant. But once this feast is behind me, there's lots of good unrestricted holiday baking ahead, so I look forward to trying your recipes.

[Parmhero]

I've made this one several times...

Paul Prudhomme's Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

It's a bit of work.....but it's killer...

[pastrymama]

I have made the Paul Prudhomme recipe without the pecan part, I just doubled the sweet potato filling part. It is really good and nice and thick. But I think a small amount of ginger would be good in it also.

[Katie Meadow]

I checked out the Paul P. recipe mentioned above. I can see how the sweet potato filling part would be thick--there's virtually no liquid in it and only one whole egg for the double recipe. Interesting. It's really approaching a vegetable pie. Which I like.

[John DePaula]

Although that seems like a lovely recipe, it's doesn't fit the bill (to me) for a sweet potato pie. I'm in the camp that says, Pumpkin Pie spices are for Pumpkin Pie. Sweet Potato Pie is a different animal.

And of course, this is very subjective. I just don't like the spices getting in the way of the delicious sweet potatoes.

Here you go: Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie

[shaloop]

My favorite:

http://recipes.egullet.org/recipes/r2152.html

[mukki]

It took me a few recipes to find the sweet potato pie I was looking for, but I finally hit gold with James McNair's recipe. I use a lard-based pie crust.

1 1/4 lbs sweet potatoes or yams (about 2 medium-sized)

1 cup sugar (I reduce this to 3/4 c.)

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. cloves

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 t. vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

McNair recommends you partially pre-bake the pie crust, but I don't notice much of a difference if I bake the pie in the lower 1/3 of the oven.

Scrub sweet potatoes. Boil 35-40 minutes or steam, bake or microwave. (I steam 1" peeled chunks for 20 minutes and run them through a ricer). Drain, peel and cut into chunks. Mash through a ricer or with a potato masher. Food processors make them too smooth.

Preheat oven to 375. Mix mashed sweet potatoes with sugar, salt, baking soda, and spices. Beat in melted butter, vanilla, eggs, and milk. Pour into pie shell Bake 40 min. or until top just feels firm to the touch. Cool to room temp.

P.S. McNair's recipes for Pecan Pie and Coffee Chiffon Pie are excellent, as well. I really like his Pie Cookbook.

Edited November 28, 2008 by mukki (log)