From A Love Affair with Southern Cooking. Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. Copyright © 2007 by Jean Anderson. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Baked sweet potatoes, I think, make better pie than boiled potatoes. For two reasons: Baked sweet potatoes are never watery, and that stint in the oven caramelizes some of their natural sugars, making for richer, deeper flavour (I give them about one hour at 400° F.). There are dozens of recipes for sweet potato pie, but this one – a merging of several different recipes that I’ve collected in my prowls about the South – is especially good because it’s not cloyingly sweet. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Baked sweet potatoes, I think, make better pie than boiled potatoes. For two reasons: Baked sweet potatoes are never watery, and that stint in the oven caramelizes some of their natural sugars, making for richer, deeper flavour (I give them about one hour at 400° F.). There are dozens of recipes for sweet potato pie, but this one – a merging of several different recipes that I’ve collected in my prowls about the South – is especially good because it’s not cloyingly sweet. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Ingredients
- 2 cups firmly packed unseasoned mashed, cooked sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk or evaporated milk (I prefer the latter)
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- One 9-inch unbaked pie shell
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Beat the sweet potatoes, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a small electric mixer bowl at low speed for about 30 seconds, then at high speed for 1 minute or until light, pausing several times to scrape the bowl.
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With the mixer at low speed, beat in the eggs one by one. With the mixer still at low speed, add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour the filling into the pie shell.
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Slide the pie onto a baking sheet and bake on the middle oven shelf for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until puffed, lightly browned, and a cake tester inserted halfway between the edge and the center comes out clean.
- If you want to serve the pie warm, cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Or, if you prefer, cool the pie to room temperature before serving.
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Note: The filling will fall somewhat but this is as it should be.
