Sweet Potato Pie...a Southern Favorite!

In the south there is this pie that is a well kept secret from the rest of these great United States.  It's not glamorous or all that pretty, but it tastes so good if it's made the right way.   Now, the 'right way' is more than likely up for debate, because as with all old southern recipes, it always is.

 I am sure I will be told that somebodies grandma or their mama or their great aunt didn't make their sweet potato pie the way I do...and that's fine.  This is my sweet potato pie recipe and to be honest, I haven't really seen a recipe by anyone else that has all of these components in it at one time.  Some of them have parts of this recipe and others have other ingredients, but I have not seen a recipe that incorporates them all.  That's not to say that someone doesn't have a great sweet potato pie recipe, because I am sure many, many folks do.  But if I do say so myself, this recipe is pretty dang good!

I have had so many of you send me questions about sweet potato pie, either asking for a recipe or asking for a better recipe or asking 'what can you do to make it taste not so bitter or more flavorful or not look so orange.'  Which are good questions, because it shouldn't be any of those things.  Sweet potato pie should be flavorful with the right blend of spices, sweet (it's pie) and have sort of a light, more airy texture than pumpkin pie does.   For me, I prefer a good sweet potato pie to a pumpkin pie any day...and I like pumpkin pie.  Here is what you will need for this sweet potato pie:

1 unbaked deep dish pie shell
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1/4 cup butter or 1/2 stick, melted
1  14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring or 1 Tbs. of good Kentucky bourbon
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs, separated
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbs. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes which you can cook from fresh sweet potatoes or you can even use canned sweet potatoes that have been drained.  When you mash the potatoes, if there are any fibers or stringiness to them, pick that out.  Sometimes they  do have stringy pieces in them.  With an electric mixer, blend the potatoes, butter, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, vanilla or bourbon, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
   
Separate the eggs, blend the yolks into the sweet potato mixture.  Place the whites in a clean dry bowl.

Beat egg whites with the baking powder and the 1 Tbs. sugar until peaks form.   Be sure your beaters are clean and dry before you start this or the whites won't whip up.  Gently fold the egg whites into the sweet potato mixture with a mixing spoon.  Don't do this with the mixer because it will break the whites.  Just fold them in until blended.

Place the pie shell on a cookie sheet and then fill it with the sweet potato filling.  Don't over fill the shell or it will rise over the sides.  See how full this shell is,  that's too full...lol.  I had to take some of it out.   Because of the whipped egg whites with the baking powder in them, the filling does rise up while it's baking so leave a little room to rise...not much, but fill it to just below the rim of the crust.  If it does bake over, the cookie sheet will catch it and as the pie cools it settles back down and the custard does tighten up some, so don't worry too much about it.  If you have extra filling just put it in a small ramekin and bake it as a little extra treat for the cook.  You deserve it and can test the final product without cutting the pie!  Place in oven and bake for approximately 45 - 50 minutes.  Don't let it get too brown on top.  Remove and let cool on the counter.  Serve with a nice dollop of whipped cream!