There are as many recipes for pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie available as there are cooks to bake those pies. (I tend to think of pumpkin and sweet potato pies as almost synonymous.) And almost every cook has his or her favorite recipe. Me too. Or I thought I did until I baked this year’s Thanksgiving sweet potato pies.
I used the basic recipe I’ve been fixing for several years now, but instead of including Kahlúa or rum, I chose bourbon. And I substituted heavy cream for the evaporated milk called for in my original recipe. Well boy howdy – these 2 changes really worked. The filling was super smooth, almost custardy. And very, very flavorful. And then topped with homemade bourbon caramel whipped cream – OMG. Pretty darn amazing. But then, I love sweet potatoes almost any way I can think to fix them. But when combined with all the other lovely ingredients in this recipe, they are absolutely raised to a new level of yumminess. But enough about this pie. Just make it. You won’t be disappointed.
Yesterday, Thanksgiving, was weird. Everything about the day felt as if I were viewing it through some kind of altered reality. OK, throwing the turkey stock together, making the dressing, and preparing the turkey for its long, slow roast was the same as usual. But not setting the dining room table for guests, and not making appetizers to begin the festivities just didn’t seem right. Even as I prepared other traditional favorites, and a couple of new recipes just for the shear fun of it, the feeling of unreality never really went away. The only saving grace was that we were able to share food with 2 other couples. Not eating together, but through home deliveries. (Masked, of course!)
On Wednesday evening we delivered a couple of pies and assorted goodies to our dear friends Jim and Margo. And were sent home with a large container of delicious clam chowder. And at 4:00 pm yesterday there was an exchange between our home and our dear friends Mark and Vicki next door. This allowed us to at least experience the sharing part of Thanksgiving which in my estimation is basically what it’s all about anyway. So that felt good. It also left us with so much food that neither household will have to cook for at least a week! But I think it was more about the divided effort than about the food itself. It just felt right to be able to share the bounty of our wonderful lives with some of the people we love.
And as a truly special treat, Andy and I were part of a Zoom extended family get-together commencing at 3:00 pm. So, while I was preparing gravy, I was able to see and hear, via my computer screen, many of our family members and closest friends as they too were preparing for their own unprecedented celebration. That was great. That felt good. But even with all the positives, it still was weird sitting down on such a momentous occasion, just the two of us at table.
As I drifted off to sleep last night, there were lots of wonderful memories doing their best to keep me awake. So, I gave them full rein. I remembered my first Thanksgiving with Dick and Eloise 50 years ago. (Also, the occasion of the first turkey I ever baked.) Then, all the subsequent Thanksgivings with the extended family. But finally, just before I let Mr. Sandman do his thing, I gave special thanks for the wonderful life I have had, for my children, for my old friends who have helped me through a few rough patches, for my new friends that daily brighten my life, but mainly for my best friend and the love of my life, Mr. Andy Carr. My dear husband who constantly keeps me grounded, keeps me laughing, entertained, feeling special, feeling loved, and all the other positive adjectives you can think of that represent unselfish love. And how just saying thank you to Mr. C. could never be enough. (But I do it anyway!) So what I plan to continue doing, is try my darndest to live up to his expectations. That is, after all, the only lasting thing I can offer him to prove my undying love and respect.
Peace and love to all.
3 c. mashed sweet potato*
4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
3 lg. eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
¾ c. brown sugar, packed
¼ c. granulated sugar
¼ tsp. fine sea salt
¼ tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 c. heavy cream
3 T. good bourbon
1 lg. (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
Whisk the mashed sweet potatoes, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla together until creamy and smooth. (There should be no lumps in the mixture.) Then stir in the brown sugar and granulated sugar.
In a small bowl, whisk the salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together. Stir into the sweet potato mixture until thoroughly combined. Finally stir in the heavy cream and bourbon.
Pour into prepared pie shell. Cover edges of crust with 1½ inch strips of aluminum foil. (This prevents the crust from getting too brown.) Remove the aluminum strips the last 5 minutes of baking.
Bake the pie in a pre-heated 350-degree oven until the filling is set, about 60-70 minutes. To test, shake the pie; the center of the pie should jiggle slightly. If you still aren’t sure, stick a toothpick or a butter knife in the center. If it comes out fairly clean, the filling is set.
Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving. Best stored in a cool place. Serve dolloped with Bourbon Caramel Whipped Cream. Recipe below.
*I use the darkest skinned sweet potatoes I can find, sometimes labeled Ruby Garnet yams. But they aren’t really yams. They are just dark-skinned sweet potatoes. Then I bake the sweet potatoes in their skins. When tender, I remove them from the oven, let them cool completely, remove the skin, then whirl them smooth in my food processor.
BOURBON CARAMEL WHIPPED CREAM
¼ c. unsalted butter
½ c. brown sugar
tiny pinch salt
¼ c. + 1¾ c. (1 pint total) heavy whipping cream, divided
2 T. good bourbon
Whisk butter, brown sugar, and salt together over medium heat in a small heavy saucepan until brown sugar has dissolved completely. (This happens after the mixture comes to a boil and allowed to burble for a couple of minutes or until it turns kind of shiny. Continue whisking the whole time the mixture is on the heat.) Remove from heat and gently whisk in the ¼ cup heavy cream and bourbon. Allow caramel to come to room temperature and then refrigerate.
Beat the remaining 1¾ cups of whipping cream to stiff peaks. Add some of the cold caramel sauce and whip just until well blended. (The caramel sauce and whipped cream can be combined up to a few hours before serving.) Serve the remaining caramel sauce on any of your favorite desserts. Or spoon it directly into your mouth. Your choice!
