Yield: One 9 inch, deep-dish Pie
This pie has a wonderful combination of brandy, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and sweet potatoes. Incredibly bursting with flavour and will surely put sweet potatoes on the map!
INGREDIENTS
Cream Cheese Crust:
1 c. + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
ice water as needed
Sweet Potato Filling:
¼ c. butter, unsalted, softened
1 c. sugar
2 c. cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
3 Eggs, room temperature
¼ c. brandy (I use E&J XO Extra Smooth Brandy)
2 tsp grated lemon zest (be careful not to get the bitter, white pith!)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 unbaked (9”) pastry shell
HOW TO MAKE MARY RANDOLPH’S SWEET POTATO PIE
Prepare the Cream Cheese Pastry:
Step 1: In a medium bowl. Sift the flour and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter for about 3 to 5 minutes until thoroughly combined.
Step 3: Decrease the speed of the mixer before adding in the flour. Continue to beat until the dough comes together. You can sprinkle in a tsp at a time ice water over the dough if it is not cohesive and will not stay in a ball, mixing with a fork until it formed a ball.
Step 4: Flatten the ball into a circle, then wrap with a plastic wrap for at least 4 hours to overnight until hard.
Step 5: To 1/8 inch thick, roll the pastry out. Line the pie dish with the pastry, trim the edges if needed, rolling and crimping the pastry decoratively. Loosely tent and place in the fridge until ready to use.
Filling:
Step 6: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 400 degrees.
Step 7: In a small pan, warm the brandy and do not boil. Then, keep it warm.
Step 8: In a mixing bowl, place the butter and cream using a hand mixer. Add the sugar, beating well every after each addition. Then, add the potatoes and continue beating on medium speed until well incorporated. Now, add the eggs, a piece at a time, beating every after each addition.
Step 9: To the sweet potato mixture, add the brandy along with the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and nutmeg. Mix well until combined.
Step 10: Into the pastry shell, pour the mixture. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Adjust the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 25 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle of the pie comes out clean.
NOTES:
1. To cook and mash the potatoes, start by peeling about 2 to 3 sweet potatoes. Into gold ball-sized chunks, cut the potatoes and place the pieces in a medium saucepan. Pour cold water into the bowl, enough to cover the potato chunks. On medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until fork-tender. Drain when done. To mash the potatoes, you can use a ricer, blend in a food processor, or mash using your hands. Then, allow the mashed potatoes to cool to room temperature before prepping the filling.
2. For this recipe, I used E&J XO Extra Smooth Brandy. It’s a little expensive barrel-aged brandy with almost floral notes. If using other variety of brandy especially one with greater than 80 alcohol content, I suggest reducing it by half.
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