I have never understood all the fuss around sweet potato pie.

It wasn’t something that we ate in my home growing up in Ohio.

But with my eldest daughter in the kitchen with me I have the pleasure of her adventurous spirit and youthful energy!

She loves sweet potatoes and suggested that we try a sweet potato pie. I set her loose with some recipes I’ve collected over the years and I now suspect that genius lies in this child.

Her ability to cull out the most fantastic collection of ingredients and method to develop the optimum of flavor, texture, and consistency astounded us all.

Here is the recipe below, courtesy of Paula Deen, and my daughter, a girl after my own heart, who substituted half and half for the milk. Genius, I tell you! I am now a sweet potato pie fanatic! I get it, I get it!

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time:
20 min
Inactive Prep Time:
–
Cook Time:
1 hr 55 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled, cooked sweet potatoes
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 stick melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup milk (we used half and half)
• 9-inch unbaked pie crust
• 3 egg whites

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees 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. (We skipped the meringue)

For the meringue, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; beat in the remaining 1/4 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.

Note: I used my Martha Stewart Perfect Pie Crust.