Sweet Potato Pie

It probably won't surprise you that the holiday season is my favorite time of year.  As a chef, I love the bounty of amazing fruits and vegetables available, and as someone who loves to host a party, this is my time to shine!

Growing up I never had sweet potato pie; it was always pumpkin.  Now don't get me wrong, I definitely appreciate pumpkin pie, but over the years, I have traded canned pumpkin for roasting fresh pumpkin or squash and, more often than not, sweet potatoes for my thanksgiving pies.  I use them in cheesecakes as well - I'll share that recipe later - which is absolutely delicious.  You'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the fresh, roasted sweet potato and pumpkin, but I think you can definitely distinguish between the fresh-roasted and the canned.  Now, if you don't have the time to roast your own pumpkin or sweet potatoes, the canned ones work but trust me, if you do, you'll have a pie like never before.  For my own little twist, I add roasted bananas to the sweet potatoes when I purée them.  It rounds out the flavor and adds another dimension of sweetness and texture that I just love.

At the restaurant, I make sweet potato tarts (this recipe will make about 9-10 small tarts) for individual servings, but you can make this in a 9 x 1 1/2 inch pie shell or a 10-inch tart pan and cut slices.  I also pair it with a bourbon caramel sauce, but you can omit the bourbon if you like, and the sauce is just as delicious - the sauce will go well over ice cream or anything else as well.  Garnish as you like; I use whipped cream, candied nuts, and toasted marshmallows.

Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients

For the Filling:

1 pound sweet potatoes (about 3 small or 2 medium potatoes)

1 banana

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup evaporated milk

1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg 

Pinch kosher salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 stick melted butter 

For the Bourbon Caramel:

1 cup sugar

6 tbsp butter, cubed

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 oz bourbon (optional)

Directions:

For the Sweet Potatoes and Banana:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  

1. Using a fork, poke holes in the sweet potatoes - about 15-20 times running up and down all sides of each potato.  

2. Place the sweet potatoes and banana on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  

3. Remove the banana and let the sweet potatoes cook for another 20-30 minutes until soft.  

4. Remove the sweet potatoes and allow them to cool until you can handle them.  

5. Peel the banana and place them in a food processor.  

6. Cut the sweet potatoes in half, scoop out as much flesh as you can, and put that in the food processor with the banana and purée until smooth. 

*This can be done ahead, and the purée refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for a month.

For the Pie or Tarts:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

1. Blind bake your crust filled with pie weights or dry beans for 15 minutes.

2. Remove the crust and gently prick holes it in with a fork then brush it with an egg wash (one egg beaten with 1 tbsp of water or milk)

3. Bake the crust for another 10-15 minutes until it is golden brown.

4. Place the sweet potato banana purée in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat it on high for 1-2 minutes.   

5. Add the sugar and beat for 2 more minutes to combine, scraping down the bowl as needed.  

6. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated.  

7. Add the evaporated milk and mix on medium for 1-2 minutes until well combined.  

8. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla and mix on medium for another minute; reduce the speed to low and slowly add the melted butter.  

9. Once all the butter is added, put the mixer on high and beat for an additional minute.  

10. Scrape down the bowl one last time and make sure everything is well combined.  

11. Cover the outer crust of the pie with a strip of folded aluminum foil so it does not burn.  

12. Pour the filling into your pie shell and bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the Bourbon Caramel:

1. Place the sugar in a medium heavy-bottom pot over medium heat and cook until it melts and turns medium to dark amber in color.  DO NOT STIR the sugar, just swirl the pan, stirring will cause the sugar to crystalize resulting in a grainy caramel sauce.

2. Off the heat carefully stir in the butter.  The sugar will bubble up and release a lot of steam when you do this so be very careful not to get burned.

3. After the butter is well incorporated, stir in the heavy cream.  Again the mixture will bubble up and steam a lot so be careful.

4. Finally, stir in the bourbon if you are using it.  Then allow the caramel to cool.  It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

*Bakers Notes

If you have frozen the purée, defrost it in the refrigerator overnight.

You can use a store-bought frozen pie crust or make your own.