What’d You Do Last Weekend?

With a little extra pastry cream and a simple crepe batter, try your hand at a gateau de crepes, also known as mille crepes.

Sweet Potato Pie

Posted by jenny on 02/18/2010

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The last time I made a sweet potato pie it didn't turn out all that well, so I was a little nervous about repeating the same mistakes twice. Sweet potatoes are funny. I read somewhere recently that nearly everything we call sweet potatoes are really variations of yams, and true sweet potatoes are in fact, really large and often unseen in our grocery stores. So the last time I made sweet potato pie, I bought what were labeled 'sweet potatoes,' a really pale tuber. Even though I knew the color of a sweet potato pie was supposed to be closer to a pumpkin, I tried to get the right ingredients. The pie turns out a bland tan color, even though the taste was pretty close. But you know that we eat with our eyes. It was unappetizing.

Todd helped me out with the pie this year, mostly to provide some guidance in the key areas of sweet potato pie making. He made the crumb crust and I made the (orange-colored) sweet potato pie filling. We topped the whole pie with a three-nut topping which briefly formed a caramelized nut shell. After the pie cooled, the crust got soggy, but it tasted great while it was warm. Next time we'll try this without the nut topping, or will make a nut brittle on the side so it will stay crisp.

Sweet Potato Pie with 3-nut Topping (modified from epicurious)
Crust

1/3 c walnuts, toasted
1/3 c hazelnuts, toasted
1/3 c almonds, toasted
1 c graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
5 T unsalted butter, melted

Coarsely grind all nuts in processor.
Blend in graham
cracker crumbs, sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
Add butter and blend in
using on/off turns until moist crumbs form.
Press crumbs onto bottom
and sides of 9-inch deep-dish glass pie dish. Set aside.

Filling

18 oz sweet potatoes
3 large eggs
3 T butter
1/2 c firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 T honey
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 c whipping cream

Preheat oven
to 350°F.
Bake sweet potatoes until tender, about 1 hour.
Cool
potatoes; peel.
Puree in processor.
Transfer to bowl and whisk in eggs.
Cook butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat until melted and
brown.
Add sugar, honey and pumpkin pie spice and boil 1 minute,
stirring constantly.
Whisk in cream.
Add butter mixture to potato
puree; blend until smooth.
Pour filling into crust.
Bake until center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, covering with
foil if crust browns too quickly, about 40 minutes.

Topping

1/4 c (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 c firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 T honey
1/3 c whole almonds, toasted
1/3 c whole hazelnuts, toasted
1/3 c walnuts, toasted

Stir first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until
sugar dissolves.
Increase heat and boil 1 minute.
Mix in nuts, coating
completely.
Spoon hot nut mixture over
pie.
Continue baking until topping bubbles, about 5 minutes.
Transfer
to rack and cool completely.