1 lg Sweet potatoes
4 tb Butter
1/2 c Light brown sugar
1/2 c Milk
3 Eggs, separated
1/4 ts Salt, or to taste
1/8 ts Grated nutmeg, or to taste
1/2 ts Cinnamon, or to taste
1/4 ts Ground cloves, or to taste
1/2 ts Vanilla extract
Prepared pie crust (see
-below)
-FLAKY PASTRY-
2 c Flour
1/4 ts Salt
1/3 c Cold lard or vegetable
-shortening and
Cold butter or margarine
3 To 5 tablespoons cold water
In this very accommodating pie, the amount of sweet potato used need
not be exact.
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Pare sweet potato, cut in half lengthwise,
then cut each piece once crosswise, and drop into boiling water to
cover. Boil until tender (15 to 20 minutes). Meanwhile, cut butter
in small chunks and place in a medium mixing bowl with sugar.
2. Drain sweet potato and quickly mash with butter and sugar. While
mixture is still hot, beat until smooth. Beat in milk and egg yolks.
Add salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla; carefully adjust
spicing to taste.
3. Using an electric mixer with clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites
in a small bowl until stiff. Gently fold beaten whites into sweet
potatoes. Pour mixture into pie crust, place on a baking sheet, and
bake for 40 minutes. Lower heat to 350F and bake until top is medium
brown and crust is golden brown (an additional 5 to 10 minutes).
Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Serves 8.
VARIATION: For the more familiar, heavier pie filling, omit milk,
and beat whole, unseparated eggs into the sweet potato mixture. Bake
at 375F for 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
FLAKY PASTRY:
1. In a large bowl mix flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2
knives, cut in lard and butter until mixture is crumbly and particles
are the size of small dried peas.
2. Mixing lightly with a fork, sprinkle on water, 1 tablespoon at a
time, until dough begins to cling together. With your hands press
dough into 2 flattened balls of equal size. Enclose in plastic wrap
to prevent dough from drying out while preparing filling. To avoid
stickiness, refrigerate for up to a day.
3. Roll out on a lightly floured surface, using short, firm strokes
to achieve uniform thinness, according to recipe directions.
Makes two 9-inch pie crusts.
NOTE: To prepare in food processor, combine flour and salt in work
bowl. Add lard and butter. Process, using short on-off bursts, until
coarse crumbs form. Add water through feed tube, 1 tablespoon at a
time, processing until mixture barely clings together. Use your
hands to press pastry together into 2 smooth balls.
From “Regional American Classics”, California Culinary Academy,
Chevron Chemical Company, 1987.
Yields
8 Servings