Southern-style Sweet Potato Pie, with cream, spices, and plenty of sweet potato flavor. If you’ve never tasted a Sweet Potato Pie, you’re in for a treat.

Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:

Pastry:

Classic Pie Pastry for one 9 inch single-crust pie. Or, if making a braided edge, make Classic Pie Pastry for one 9-inch double-crust pie.

Filling:

4 large eggs

2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes (about 1¾ pounds)

1 cup firmly packed dark or light brown sugar (or a combination of both)

¼ cup orange juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup whipping (heavy) cream

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Tip: Use a citrus juicer for freshly squeezed juice.

Directions:

Pastry:

1. Prepare Classic Pie Pastry for one 9 inch single crust pie, or, if making a braided edge make pastry for one 9 inch double-crust pie. Line a 9 inch deep dish pie pan with the bottom pastry. Trim the pastry to ½ inch beyond the edge of the pie pan, fold the edge under.
   
   
2. To make the braided edge, roll out remaining pastry to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a fluted or straight-edge pastry wheel, pizza cutter, or kitchen knife, cut strips between ¼ and ½ inches wide. Brush the edge of the pastry shell with water. Loosely braid 3 of the strips of pastry dough around the edge of the pastry shell. As a strip runs out, add another strip by pressing the ends together. Secure the braid by pressing lightly to the edge of the pie shell.
   
   
3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate pie shell until firm, at least 30 minutes.
   
   
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
   
   
5. Puree the sweet potatoes in a food processor or blender until smooth.
   
   
6. In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a wire whisk or electric hand mixer. Add the sweet potatoes, brown sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, cream, butter, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Continue beating until very smooth. Pour mixture in the pastry-lined pie pan.
   
   Bake:
7. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 375 degrees F.  Bake an additional 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center is almost set but still slightly wobbly. Tip: During baking, if crust is getting too brown, loosely place a piece of foil over the top to prevent the crust from over-browning.
   
   
8. Remove from oven. Cool on a wire cooling rack 2 to 3 hours before cutting and serving. Cover and refrigerate within 8 hours. Refrigerate Leftovers.
   
   Makes 6 to 8 servings.
   
   TheBakingPan.com
   
   Adapted From: Sax, Richard, Classic Home Desserts, Chapters Publishing Ltd, Vermont, 1994
   ___________________________________________________