Sweet Potato Pie – Pumpkin’s Southern Cousin

If you have never tried Sweet Potato Pie, you know for sure that you are NOT a Southerner!There are some foods which are just quintessentially Southern….fried chicken, sweet tea, corn bread, grits and sweet potato pie.  It is very similar to pumpkin, especially in color and appearance, but it has the unique flavor and creamy texture that comes from the starch of the sweet potato.  Unlike pumpkin, which in many places is a seasonal item, sweet potatoes are available everywhere year round.

Many people wouldn’t dream of having a holiday meal without pumpkin pie.  In fact, it is part of the lyrics in at least three popular Christmas songs:

1. There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays:
“I met a man who lives in Tennessee, and he was headin’ for Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie . . .”

2. Sleigh Ride:
“There’s a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy, when they pass around the coffee and the pumpkin pie,”

3. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree:
“Rocking around the Christmas tree, let the Christmas spirit ring. Later we’ll have some pumpkin pie, and we’ll do some caroling.”

If you are inclined to try something a little different and new to you, give this old time recipe, for this popular Southern delight a try…we think y’all will be very glad you did! 🙂

Sweet Potato Pie

3-4 medium yams or sweet potatoes baked and skins removed
(you need appromately 2 cups of sweet potato pulp)

1 stick of butter softened to room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs beaten
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon each of: nutmeg ginger, and allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 recipe for pie crust dough

Roll out pie crust dough and place in a 9″ pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes.  Allow to cool while you prepare the filling. Remove the skins from the baked sweet potatoes and mash thoroughly until smooth.

Beat together in another bowl, the butter, sugar and brown sugar.  When the mixture is creamy, add the eggs one at a time then add in vanilla,  spices and salt.  Stir in the sweet potatoes and the heavy cream.  Stir to combine.  Adjust seasoning adding more cinnamon or other spices if you like the filling more spicy.  Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and bake in the lower rack of your oven for about 1 hour or until the center of the pie is firm.  Cool and serve with whipped cream.