Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Topping- New Food Friday

For Christmas this year I decided to take a pie to my in-laws Christmas gathering. I technically have made this pie before (or one like it- I couldn't find the recipe!), but it was about 4-5 years ago so we will call this one a new recipe.

I used this recipe as a base, but I changed it a lot.

Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Topping-

Makes 2 pies

Filling:

2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed- (3 medium sweet potatoes)

1 cup butter, softened

1 can (10 oz) Evaporated milk

2 cup white sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 unbaked pie crust

Topping:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 bag (10 oz) chopped pecans

Steam sweet potatoes until they are tender- about 12 minutes.

Put steamed sweet potatoes, butter, sugar, milk, eggs and seasonings in bowl and blend with mixer. You can also use a food processor for this step if you wish.

Place filling in unbaked pie crusts and bake for 55 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees F. Pie will puff up while it bakes, but come down later.

When pies are done remove from oven and let cool while you make topping.

Heat butter until melted on low to medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir until mixture starts to thicken. Add pecans and stir.

Pour topping over pies and let cool.

Enjoy!!!

Linking up with some of these parties!

Thanks for stopping by!

Pie and Preparing for the Holiday

Last weekend we had some pre- 4th of July fun with family, food and even fireworks!

I did make the pies that I mentioned last post- strawberry pie and lemon meringue. They were both delicious!!

It was hard to find a strawberry pie recipe that didn't call for jell-o or pre-made strawberry glaze. So I just made up my own based on a few recipes I found.

Strawberry Pie

4 cups hulled strawberries

5 Tbsp cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Mash strawberries so juice is flowing. Mix cornstarch and sugar together to eliminate lumps. Heat strawberries, sugar, cornstarch , and lemon juice until boiling. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Add to unbaked pie crust. I did a lattice over top of mine and baked at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Yummy!!

For the Lemon Meringue Pie I used a recipe from Eggland's Best Eggs.

Mile High Lemon Meringue Pie

4 eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups sugar, separated

5 Tbsp cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

1/2 cup milk

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Combine 1 cup of sugar, cornstarch and cream of tartar- mix to eliminate clumps. Add to medium saucepan. Whisk in water and milk, stirring while heating over medium heat. Bring to a boil.

In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks. Whisk 1/2 cup of the milk mixture in and then add back to the saucepan. Simmer over low heat 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat add butter and lemon juice and pour into prebaked pie crust.

In medium bowl beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

Spread meringue over top and let bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.

For both recipes I used the "Alan's Pie Pastry" from my BHG magazine (I think it was November 2010 edition).

I didn't have sour cream so I subsituted plain yogurt and I miscalculated the time I needed to prepare the pies so I didn't let them chill the full 2 hours. But the crusts turned out wonderful, chewy and flaky. Yum Yum.

Alan's Pie Pastry

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 3/4 cups cold unsalted butter

2/3 cup ice cold water

2 Tbsp sour cream

1 tsp vinegar

Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in butter with pastry blender. Add water, sour cream and vinegar to flour mixture. Stir to mix, don't overmix. Refridgerate for 2 hrs or overnight. Makes 3 single crust pastries.

This week has been just getting ready for traveling this weekend and having family over for the fireworks celebration on Sunday. Just trying to make it through work until then!! And hopefully be able to get a few sewing/stitchy projects done!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Finished Painting and PIE!!!

I just finished painting the back bedroom at our new house- It went from a lavendar to Lazy Daizy- a buttery yellow color. I like it a lot so far, even though the process took a lot longer than I wanted. I am hoping to get it swept up and some furniture moved into it tonight.

I am also going to start on the process of making pies tonight. We have a family celebration on Saturday and I am going to make two pies....

Strawberry Pie- photo from Weight Watchers

Haven't found what recipe I am going to use yet.

and Lemon Meringue Pie

photo from Woman's Day

I am going to use the recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie from Allrecipes.com

I will probably only make the crusts tonight and then make the pies tomorrow. Hopefully they turn out as pretty as the pictures!

Thanks for stopping by and everyone have a good weekend.

Sundays never last long enough.

Last Thursday I made my pie for the competition on Friday. I made the strawberry meringue pie, but it didn't turn out quite as good as the first time. But my crusts turned out great! I was proud of them, the best I have ever made!

I had gotten some rhubarb from my sisters yard, and my husband loves it so I also made a strawberry rhubarb pie. It was awesome. Definitely need to save that recipe.

This is me and one of my co-workers with our pies for the contest. I don't think I won, but it was fun to do it and try new pies.

I haven't been able to do much stitching lately, but I got to work on my honeymoon scrapbook and I finished it today! I haven't shown my husband yet, but I hope he likes it. I got it done in under a year, so that is good right :). Hope to be able to stitch some this coming week, but we are going away for our anniversary so I don't know!