These pies have been in progress ever since the sweet potatoes, pumpkins and butternut squash were planted at Snow's Bend Farm last spring.
You can get an industrial sweet potato or pumpkin pie at any grocery store or many bakeries. But pies make from fresh, locally grown sweet potatoes, pumpkins or butternut squash? Not so many places have those. In fact, I'd venture that unless you make them yourself, Mary's Cakes & Pastries is just about the only place you'll find them in Tuscaloosa.
We start with the real deal -- fresh produce from a local, organic farm. Then we roast the vegetables until they are soft and mash them up. Mix them with butter, spices, eggs and condensed milk, pour into a pie shell and bake. Top with a home-made pecan pie mixture of local pecans, brown sugar, dark corn syrup, egg and brandy, then bake some more.
In the recipe below, pumpkin or butternut squash puree can be substituted for the sweet potatoes.
If you think this seems like a lot of work, it is. We'll have pies available at the bakery on Tuesday and Wednesday for those of you who don't have the time to make them at home.
Sweet Potato Pecan Pie
- 1 pound sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 prepared pie crust
- PECAN TOPPING
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon brandy
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- HEAT oven to 400°F. Beat hot sweet potatoes and 1/4 cup butter in large bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, salt and egg; mix well. Pour into crust.
- BAKE 20 minutes. Prepare Pecan Topping while pie is baking.
- BEAT together egg, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter and maple flavoring. Stir in pecans.
- REMOVE pie from oven; reduce oven to 350°F. Spoon Pecan Topping onto pie.
- BAKE an additional 25 minutes or until set. Cool.
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