Vanilla Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie
Chef Lynnie's
As Natchez, Mississippi nears its tri-centennial one of their true Southern desserts is featured in this issue of Tied in a Bow.
Sweet potato pie is a traditional side dish in the Southern United States. It is often served during the American holiday season, especially at Thanksgiving, and is similar in many ways to pumpkin pie. Marshmallows are sometimes added as a topping, but this was adopted more in the Northern United States than in the South.
It is usually made as a large tart in an open pie shell without a top crust. The filling consists of mashed sweet potatoes, milk, sugar and eggs, flavored with spices such as nutmeg. Other possible ingredients include vanilla or banana extracts. The baked custard filling may vary from a light and silky to dense, depending on the recipe's ratio of mashed potato, milk and eggs.
Though creamy vegetable pie recipes date back to Medieval Europe, sweet potato pie appears in the southern United States from the early colonial days. Like many sweet potato recipes, sweet potato pie was likely developed by African-American slaves from traditional African cuisine, making it a staple of soul food today. Recipes for sweet potato pie first appeared in printed cookbooks in the 18th century, where it was included with savory vegetable dishes. By the 19th century, sweet potato pie was more commonly classified as a dessert.
Ingredients:
FILLING
3 large sweet potatoes (2 1/4 pounds)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon bourbon or whiskey
2 large eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
CRUST
3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 20 1/4 sheets)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
TOPPING
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup pecan halves
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon or whiskey
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