BAKE 52

SWEET POTATO PIE

Has anyone else had Alabama's Song of the South playing in their head all week?!  Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth. Then opened it and put more pie in...again and again. 

I can't even express how surprised I am that I liked this pie!  I picked this recipe purely for my husband who loves sweet potatoes.  They make me shiver.  But I wanted to try something new and I figured it couldn't be all bad if there was a song about it.  And I was right!
Aside from my Texture-Sensitivity Disorder, I really, really liked this pie!  It had a distinct, fresh taste with just the right amount of spices.  And I loved the brown sugar on the crust!  Not overwhelming, but an extra bit of sweetness at the bottom of the pie. Mmm!  I'm suppose to bring orange rolls to Thanksgiving dinner, but I think I'm going to bake another sweet potato pie to take along as well--it deserves appreciation from the masses. 

I hope everyone else had a good experience with this pie, and if not, well, hopefully you can find something on your Thanksgiving table to make up for it!  Happy Thanksgiving!

SWEET POTATO PIE

1 recipe single-crust pie dough, fitted into a 9-inch plate and chilled (I always use my mom's homemade pie dough recipe, but you can use Easiest Ever Press-In Single-Crust Pie Dough on p. 363 or Traditional Single-Crust Pie Dough on p. 362).

FILLING

2 pounds (about 3) sweet potatoes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 large eggs

2 large egg yolks 

1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons bourbon*

1 tablespoon light molasses** (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup whole milk

1/4 cup packed (1 3/4 ounces) dark brown sugar

*  I substituted 2 teaspoons of vanilla for the bourbon

**Since this was optional I played it safe and only used 1/2 tablespoon.

1.  Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 37 degrees.  Following the photos on page 363, line the chilled crust with a double layer of foil and fill with pie weights.  Bake until the pie dough looks dry and is light in color, 25 to 30 minutes.   Transfer the pie plate to a wire rack and remove the weights and foil.  Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. (The crust must still be warm when the filling is added.)

2.  FOR THE FILLING:  While the crust bakes, prick the sweet potatoes several times with a fork and arrange over several layers of paper towels in the microwave.  Microwave at full power for 5 minutes.  Turn each potato over and continue to microwave until tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes longer.  Let the potatoes cool slightly.

3.  Working with one potato at a time, slice it in half and scrape the cooked flesh into a large bowl using a soup spoon (you should have about 2 cups).  Discard the skins.  Mash the butter into the potatoes until just a few small potato lumps remain.

4.  In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, nutmeg, and salt together.  Stir in the bourbon, molasses (if using), and vanilla, then whisk in the milk.  Gradually stir the egg mixture into the mashed sweet potatoes until smooth and combined.

5. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the warm pie crust, then spread the sweet potato mixture evenly over the top.  Bake the pie until the filling is set around the edges but the center jiggles slightly when shaken, about 45 minutes  Let the pie cool on a wire rack until the filling has set, about 2 hours; serve slightly warm or at room temperature

  

TO MAKE AHEAD

  The pie dough can be made ahead.  Once baked and cooled, the pie can be covered loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 1 day.  Let the pie come to room temperature before serving or, to serve warm, reheat the pie in a 300-degree oven for about 15 minutes.