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Sweet Potato Pie

Many years ago, I asked my husband's aunt how she made her sweet potato pie. In her cute southern drawl she told me, "Well Miss, I just put the taters in the pie and bake it till it's done."

"Do you have a recipe I could get from you?" I was hopeful.

"Recipe?" She looked at me like I'd just fallen out of a tree, then almost seemed to get what I was saying. "Oh, it's easy. You just put a fair bit of your yams in a bowl and mash 'em with some sugar and spices. Then bake it."

I thought I saw an opening for a real answer. "How high do you set the oven?"

She thought for a moment. "I just turn it up a bit after I finish the turkey."

I gave up, thanked her and started to walk away. Aunt Ann's sweet voice called to me from over my shoulder, "Make sure you use large eggs, Honey."

I'm a city girl, but after several years of trial and error this is now one of the town's best Sweet Potato Pie recipes. To my knowledge it's also the only one that is written down.

You will need:

1 pie shell (Frozen, deep dish works just fine)
1 - 17 ounce can cooked, candied sweet potatoes/yams, drained
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
cup sugar
teaspoon ground nutmeg
teaspoon ground cinnamon
teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

For topping: (Optional but delightful!)
Heavy whipping cream
Honey

Prepare pie shell according to package directions or recipe. Set oven to 375 degrees.

Meanwhile, prepare sweet potatoes by mashing or put them through a food processor until smooth. Blend in sour cream, sugar, spices, vanilla and salt. Beat eggs until fluffy and fold into sweet potato mixture. Pour filling into pie shell and bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until edges puff slightly and knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes before refrigerating.

For Topping:

Whip whipping cream, with electric mixer on high speed, until it reaches desired consistency. Beat in honey, adding a teaspoonful or less at a time, until cream is very lightly sweetened. Use or refrigerate immediately.

Quick Tips For This Recipe:
~2 cups home cooked sweet potatoes may be substituted for canned potatoes.
~Room temperature eggs and sour cream create a lighter, softer textured pie.
~Depending on altitude and pie shell size, this may make 2 pies.
~Place a cookie sheet on the shelf under pie while cooking to catch any overflow.
~To prevent crust from over browning, cover with foil. Remove foil for the last 5-10 minutes to allow it to brown perfectly.
~If you have never used real whipped cream before, have no fear. It's faster, easier than your mother told you and a refreshing change from non-dairy toppings.

Learn more about this author, M. Smith.
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