Sweet Potato Pie

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday—it’s a holiday based completely around a feast of food, family, and friends. McHubby and I are going to our families’ dinner tables for Thanksgiving this year. I must admit that it’s hard to see all the wonderful seasonal produce in the grocery store and great traditional recipes when I’m not going to be cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year. I couldn’t help myself, so I simply had to make a few things.

In my last CSA bag, I received several plump sweet potatoes, which meant that a southern sweet potato pie was in order! This dessert possesses a flavor of fall, with a sweet and fluffy puree filling topped with a cloud of meringue.

Source: Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie, Paula Deen

Ingredients
2 cups peeled, cooked sweet potatoes
1 ¼ cups sugar
½ stick melted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup milk
9-inch unbaked pie crust
3 egg whites

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

For the filling, using an electric hand mixer, combine the potatoes, 1 cup of the sugar, the butter, eggs, vanilla, salt, and spices. Mix thoroughly. Add the milk and continue to mix. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pie on a rack and cool to room temperature before covering with meringue.

For the meringue, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; beat in the remaining ¼ cup sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is glossy and stiff, but not dry. With a rubber spatula, spoon the meringue onto the pie, forming peaks. Make sure the meringue touches the crust all around. Sprinkle with a pinch of granulated sugar. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until delicately browned. Cool and serve.