Recently, two readers, Crystal and LaToya, asked me for the best sweet potato pie recipe. For some, this might have taken some consideration. However, I have used the same family recipe for years and it’s always is a hit. Why? There’s a secret to the sweetness of a true sweet potato pie. Only buy the sweetest sweet potatoes and use jelly in your pie recipe.
As far as the sweetest sweet potatoes, I highly recommend Vardaman, MS. While I was in college, I discovered the small town, the sweet potato capitol, and stopped by their annual Sweet Potato Festival. They have all kind of events like the Sweet Potato Queen and King Pageants, Sweet Potato Tastings, Sweet Potato Pie Eating Contests, and even a banquet! I’m hoping to go this year! On the other hand, I always recommend the local Farmer’s Market. I recently bought sweet potatoes from a farmer in Middleton, TN and they were just as sweet as Vardamans!
The idea of putting jelly on my sweet potato pie came from a Memphis local named Willie. She was a well known housekeeper and cook. Her culinary delights have often inspired me and sometimes even challenged me. The jelly, in this recipe, enhances the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and helps the meringue stick to the pie a little better. I know it sounds odd, but give it a try! I made two pies last night: one for Providence Presbyterian’s Fall Festival and one for “Sunday Dinner.” While we haven’t had the “Sunday Dinner” pie yet, there isn’t a single piece left of the prior one. In fact, when my mother went to get a piece, two elders of the church were fighting over the last piece! Here’s the recipe!
Hallie’s Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients:
- -3 medium sized Sweet Potatoes
- -1/2 cup sweet milk**
- -2 eggs, seperated
- -1 cup sugar
- -1 tsp cinnamon
- -1/2 tsp nutmeg
- -9 inch Pillsbury or Marie Callender’s unbaked pie shell
- -2 Tbsp blueberry jelly
- -TT proper hard meringue
Directions:
Bake sweet potatoes 350 degrees F for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of the potato. After baking the potatoes, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into thick slices. Using a mixer, cream the sweet potato slices and beat in egg yolks sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour mixture into unbaked pie shell and bake in 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Once the pie has set, remove from oven and turn it down to 300 degrees F. Cover the top with a thin, almost translucent layer of blueberry jelly. On top of the jelly, spread homemade meringue on top and bake in the oven at 300 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes. Let cool and serve! Enjoy!
