THE SWEET POTATO PIE
Exclusive Recipe from Desserts LaBelle by Patti LaBelle
As I said in the introduction, “Sweet Talk from Patti,” sweet potato pie is in my blood. Any and every sweet potato pie I make is compared to the OG: Chubby’s version, which was also the inspiration behind my dear friend Norma’s recipe. (It’s in my first cookbook, LaBelle Cuisine. If you don’t have the book, last time I checked the recipe was also online.) Why I can’t leave a good thing alone, I don’t know. This is my current rendition, which starts with Chubby’s pie and throws in some new tricks, too. If you have been boiling sweet potatoes for your pie, try the microwave method here. It is a lot quicker.
Makes 8 servings
Pie Dough
Flour, for rolling the dough
FILLING
2 1/2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (yams), about 5 medium, scrubbed but unpeeled
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk (See Patti’s Pointers at bottom of recipe)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-Unwrap the dough and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle some flour over the top of the dough. Roll out the dough into a 12- to 13-inch round about 1⁄8 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the excess dough to make a 1/2-inch overhang around the edge of the pan. Fold the dough over so the edge of the fold is flush with the edge of the pan. Flute the edge of the dough. Pierce the bottom of the dough about a dozen times with a fork. Freeze the dough for 20 to 30 minutes.
2-Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line the inside of the piecrust with aluminum foil. Fill the foil with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
3-Bake until the exposed dough looks set and is beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Lift up and remove the foil with the weights. Continue baking the piecrust until it looks dry on the bottom, about 10 minutes more. (If the piecrust puffs, pierce the crust with a fork.) Transfer to a wire cake rack.
4-Meanwhile, make the filling: Pierce each sweet potato a few times with the tines of a fork. Place them, in a spoke pattern, on the turntable of a microwave oven. Cook on high (100%), turning the sweet potatoes over after 4 minutes, until they are tender, 8 to 10 minutes total. Let cool for a few minutes.
5-If necessary, return the oven temperature to 375°F. Using a kitchen towel to protect your hands, split each sweet potato and use a spoon to scrape the flesh into a medium bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes — you should have about 2 cups. Using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat in the melted butter. Add the sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt and beat on low speed just until the sugar is dissolved. Spread the filling evenly in the pie shell. Place the pie on a baking sheet.
6-Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Continue baking until the filling is set and doesn’t jiggle when the pie is gently shaken, about 30 minutes more. Transfer the pie to the wire rack and let cool completely. (The pie can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.)
7-Whip the cream: Freeze a medium bowl until it is chilled, about 5 minutes. Add the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla. Whip with an electric mixer on high speed until the cream forms soft peaks. (The cream can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. If it separates, whisk until thickened.)
8-Slice the pie and top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream.
Patti’s Pointers: Why evaporated milk? Even if a farmhouse didn’t have a refrigerator, country folks usually had canned evaporated milk in the kitchen cupboard. This ingredient is rich and sweet because the excess water has been removed (evaporated) before canning.
For more delicious recipes, check out Desserts LaBelle by Patti LaBelle. Published by Grand Central Publishing. Copyright © 2017 Patti LaBelle.
Available April 25, 2017!
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks
For more information: http://www.pattilabelle.com/index-book.html
