Sweet Potato-Pecan Pie

This is a cross between a sweet potato pie and a pecan pie, a specialty of the South, where it is usually served with Chantilly cream. Our version is not quite as sweet but is very flavorful.

MAKING PIE CRUST

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups flour (all unbleached white, or part white and part whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt (omit if you are using salted butter or margarine)
• 3/4 cup cold, unsalted butter
• 6 to 7 tablespoons cold water or
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt (omit if you are using salted butter or margarine)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 8 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
• 6 to 7 tablespoons cold water

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Cut the butter into small pieces, and add to the flour. With a pastry blender or with 2 knives, cut the butter (or shortening) into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork. Add only enough water to hold the dough together in a slightly moist ball. Divide the dough in half, forming 2 balls of dough. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1/2 hour.
4. To roll the dough, sprinkle the work surface with a little flour. Flatten 1 dough ball with the palm of your hand and flour both sides. If the dough is too hard to work with, let it sit at room temperature for a while.
5. Roll the dough from the middle to the edge in all directions, turning the dough as you roll to loosen it from the work surface and to make rolling easier. Continue rolling and turning until the dough is approximately 9 to 10 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. Do not stretch the dough to fit the pan.
6. Gently lay the pastry dough in the pie pan and press it in the pan without pulling or stretching. For a single-crust pie, leave about a half inch of extra dough along the edge. Turn the extra dough under, making a thicker edge. Flute the edge with your fingers.
7. For a double-crust pie, lay the dough in the pie pan, and trim the excess dough so it is even with the pan. Roll out the second crust, and lay it to cover the filling. Trim the crust, leaving about 1 inch of extra dough. Fold this under the bottom crust to form a seal. Flute the edge. Slit the top crust to allow steam to escape.
8. To prebake the pie crust: Form the shell in the pie pan, and chill it until it is firm. Press a piece of aluminum foil into the pie pan, forming it up the sides as well. Fill the foil with dried beans, rice, or aluminum pellets. This will keep the sides from shrinking down and the bottom from bubbling.
9. Bake the pie shell in a preheated 400° oven for 20 minutes. Then, remove the foil and weights and return the shell to the oven to bake for 15 minutes until the shell is golden brown. The timing will depend on how thick the shell is. Check it often to be sure it does not overbake.

PECAN PIE SYRUP

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch salt
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Melt butter.
2. Combine melted butter with the rest of the ingredients except for pecans.
3. Mix well.
4. Stir in pecans.

SWEET POTATO FILLING