Sweet Potato Pie

• Serves: 8

• Source: Cook's Country

• Contributor: Kate

I make this recipe for Thanksgiving every year. It's lightly sweet so it can be served with the main meal or it could be used as a dessert. I usually opt for making this instead of pumpkin pie. For Thanksgiving you can make the pie in advance and heat it up for the meal.

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Single Crust Pie Dough

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes
• 2T unsalted butter, softened
• 3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar (the original recipe called for 1 cup, but I like it better with less)
• 1/2t ground nutmeg
• 1/4t salt
• 2T bourbon
• 1T light molasses (the original recipe calls this as an optional ingredient)
• 1T vanilla
• 2/3c milk (whole milk preferable)
• 1/4c packed dark brown sugar

Instructions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375.
2. Line the chilled crust with a double layer of aluminum foil and fill with pie weights.
3. Bake until the pie dough looks dry and is light in color 25-30 minutes. While the crust bakes start making the filling (steps below)
4. Remove the weights and foil and continue to bake for 5-10 minutes longer until the crust is golden brown.
5. Remove the pie shell from the oven and set aside. The crust must still be warm when the filling is added.
6. 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 high power for 5 minutes then turn each potato over and microwave 5 more minutes. The potatoes should be tender but not mushy. The microwave I've used for this recipe requires at least 15 minutes. Let the potatoes cool slightly.
7. Slice potatoes in half and scrape the freshly cooked flesh into a large bowl. Discard the skins. Mash the butter into the potatoes until just a few small potato lumps remain.
8. In a medium bowl whisk all remaining ingredients except the brown sugar.
9. Gradually stir the egg mixture into the mashed sweet potatoes until smooth and combined.
10. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the warm pie crust then spread the sweet potato mixture evenly over the top.
11. Bake the pie for approximately 45 minutes until the filling is set around the edges but the center jiggles slighly when shaken.
12. The recipe calls for the pie to be cooled on a wire rack before serving until the filling is set. I've never done this because I just bake the pie until it is firm. If you take that route you may need to use a foil tent to keep the pie crust from burning.

CategoryRecipesDessert CategoryRecipesThanksgiving