I’m stretching my own parameters to call sweet potato pie a vegetable side dish, but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to end this ten day series on a sweet note.  Plus, I really like pie and there is no other holiday that is more devoted to it.

Unlike ubiquitous pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie is tougher to find and that’s a real shame.  While the taste may be similar, the texture of sweet potato is far less dense which makes it a lighter ending to a big meal. Or at least lighter if you go easy on vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, although I’ll never judge.

Many sweet potato pie recipes call for using brown or granulated sugar in the filling, but I like the additional complexity that maple syrup brings. I use a scant 1/4 cup of syrup to avoid making the pie too cloying.

When working with pie dough, be sure to save the scraps to cut out decorative shapes like the leaves I made for this pie.  It’s an easy embellishment that makes for a stunning final product.

And finally, happy Thanksgiving!  No matter what vegetable sides are on your table tomorrow, remember that it is the people gathered around it that matter most.  I wish you a spectacular day filled with good company, good eats, and thirds of everything.  Happy cooking!

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10 Days of Vegetable Sides Recipes
Day 1: Creamed Spinach
Day 2: Curried Coconut & Acorn Squash Soup
Day 3: Savory Leek and Onion Bread Pudding
Day 4: Maple-Dijon Brussels Sprouts with Country Ham
Day 5: Winter Greens with Garlic and Bacon
Day 6:  Homemade Green Bean Casserole
Day 7: Beet Chutney with Apples and Spices
Day 8: Braised Bok Choy with Ginger and Garlic
Day 9: Mom’s Potato Casserole
Day 10: This recipe
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More recipes featuring Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash, Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup with Star Anise
Sweet Potato & Country Ham Ravioli with a Brown Butter & Sage Sauce
Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet Potato and Parsnip Puree
Sweet Potato Biscuits with Country Ham and Honey Mustard
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More recipes for pie
Pumpkin Pie with a Gingersnap Crust and Molasses Whipped Cream
Homemade Cranberry Pie
Pecan Pie
Homemade Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust & Tips for Freezing
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Sweet Potato Pie – Printer Friendly Recipe
Makes 1 (9-inch) pie

For the filling:
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes (about 2 large sweet potatoes)
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the pie crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 sticks (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
5 tablespoons ice cold water
Special equipment: food processor with blade attachment, rolling pin, pastry brush, 9-inch pie plate
For serving: Vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the sweet potatoes with the tines of a fork and place on a small baking sheet.  Roast for 1 hour or until tender and easily pierced with a fork.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, make the pie crust. Add the flour and salt to a large food processor and process until combined. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and pulse in 2-second increments until the butter is in pea-size pieces.

Sprinkle the water over the dough and continue pulsing the mixture until it comes together to form a large ball. Do not over process as the dough will get tough. Remove the dough from the food processor. Press the dough into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate the dough for at least fifteen minutes and up to one day.

On a well-floured surface, roll the dough out to a large, ¼-inch thick round (about 14 inches).  To prevent the dough from sticking to the counter, brush the dough with flour using a pastry brush as you roll it out and flip it over using the rolling pin to support it after every couple of rolls.

Draping the dough over your rolling pin, transfer it from the counter to the 9-inch pie plate.  Trim around the edges as needed and patch up any holes.  Use the tines of a fork to gently prick the bottom of the crust to prevent air bubbles during baking and place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

Remove the pie plate from the freezer.  Line the pie crust with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.   Remove the pie plate from the oven and carefully lift the foil and weights from the crust.  Return the crust to the oven and cook for another 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

When sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle peel and discard their skin.  Cut off and discard any black spots on the flesh and place the sweet potato into a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.  Process until smooth.  Add the rest of the filling ingredients to the food processor with the sweet potato and process to combine.

Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 40 minutes in a 375 degree oven until the pie is just set and a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean.   Allow to cool to room temperature before serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream.