Sweet & Savory Kitchens

Aunt Suzy says . . .

There is a lot of press about pie lately, especially that it’s the new cupcakes.  Indeed the name of this article (with recipes!) is Pie to Cupcakes:  Time ‘s Up.  I’m not sure about that – cupcakes have a huge fanbase – but I love pie and will choose it always over cake.  (I think my blog partner would say the opposite!)  This is an especially rich and fabulous pie that I first had years ago when a friend of mine served it at a New Year’s Day celebration.  Ever since, I make it for our New Year’s Day meal.  It’s the only time that I make it, and each New Year’s Day I wonder why I don’t make it more often!  The original recipe is from Paul Prudhomme and uses a very rich egg-based crust and a cake pan.  I have always made it with my regular pie dough in a deep dish pie plate – seems simpler.  In any event, I think this is the type of pie that is fancy enough to warrant a special occasion or a holiday!

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line a deep dish 9-inch pie plate with your favorite dough.

Sweet-Potato Filling

2 – 3 sweet potatoes, baked
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg, vigorously beaten until frothy
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer until the batter is smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Do not overbeat. Set aside.

Pecan Pie Syrup

¾ cup sugar
¾ cup dark corn syrup
2 small eggs
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground cinnamon
¾ cup pecan pieces or halves

Combine all the ingredients except the pecans in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly on slow speed of elec

tric mixer until the syrup is opaque, about 1 minute; stir in pecans and set aside.

Assembly

Spoon the sweet-potato filling evenly into the dough-lined pie plate. Pour the pecan syrup on top.

Bake in a 325° oven until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 1/2 to 1¾ hours.  (Note: the pecans will rise to the top of the pie during baking.) Make sure you check after 1 1/2 hours given variability in ovens and pie plate types.  This time I made it, while it tasted great, I wish that I had taken it out of the oven about 10 minutes before I did!

This pie is great plain or with whipped cream.