Garnet Sweet Potato Pie
My favorites sweet potato varieties are the ones with deep orange flesh, Garnet, Jewel, and Beauguard. They grow well and love the southern soil in North Carolina, the number one sweet potato producing state in the United States since 1971. For this pie, I prefer Garnet for their moist, orange flesh and earthy flavor. If you like a sweeter pie, use Beauguard. Use the sweet potatoes that grow near or in your region and you know and like best. Baking the sweet potato gives the pie a rich caramelized flavor from all the natural sugar intensifying as the potato bakes. Make sure the potato cooks until completely soft and it will mash and blend well with the other ingredients.
Tip: Baking Sweet Potatoes | Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash 2-3 medium size sweet potatoes and wrap in foil. Place in the oven to bake 45-50 minutes until soft to touch. Unwrap and cool enough to handle. Slit the skin with a knife and slip the flesh from the skin. When the potato is till warm the flesh slips right out of the skin.
Makes one 9-inch pie/ Serves 8 - 10
1 9-inch par- baked Spelt Pie Crust or Pate Brisee
2 cups baked sweet potato puree
1/2 cup coconut milk, well shaken
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the prepared crust on a rimmed baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweet potatoes, coconut milk, eggs, sugar, syrup, butter, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the orange zest.
Combine the ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a separate small bowl and stir to combine. Whisk the spices into the sweet potato mixture until smooth and well blended.
Pour the mixture in the prepared pie crust and place on the center rack of the oven and bake 40 - 45 minutes, rotating the pan half way through baking, until set around the edges but still a little loose in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool about 1 hour before slicing. Serve warm or room temperature with a dollop of lightly sweetened whip cream or a pool of eggnog and a drizzle of molasses or maple syrup.