We do not celebrate Thanksgiving as it is am American Holiday, despite John Howard’s best efforts 
However who am I to let borders stand in the way of celebrating, or more to the point, making something delicious to eat? A dish that doesn’t turn out as expected can ruin a day. A much anticipated package not arriving can also do the same. Online shopping is one of those things that I love in theory but when it takes over a week for a package to arrive to me from another large capital city in Australia I get mighty peeved. I’d rather drive down to the shops and buy it myself. But I couldn’t, for what I was after was the Dexter Season 2 DVD with evidence kit and tshirt. All of the stores had their supply of tshirts depleted (allegedly by ardent Dexter fans on the staff) so I dutifully put in an online order and waited. And waited. And waited. I let my frustration out the only way I know how – rolling pastry.
Pies are also things that I love in theory and if they work out. When I made the filling for this pie, I thought “Uh-oh” it looks like it has curdled. More specifically the filling looked like it has dessicated coconut in it which it didn’t.
However the pie came together in the end and the addition of rum and molasses gave what is normally a eggily sweet pudding, a caramelised coconut tone to it, not so much so that you’d think it was a different flavour at all, just enough to be distinct and have people murmuring that it was one of the best Sweet Potato Pies they’d ever tasted. And I was put out of my bad mood when the pie was baking in the oven, the buzzer sounded and it was the delivery guy with my Dexter DVD.
Sweet Potato Pie
Filling
- 454 g sweet potato
- 115 g butter, softened
- 100g brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon molasses or golden syrup
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- 120 ml milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pie Crust
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4-5 tablespoons of cold milk
- 1 9 inch pie dish, greased with butter
- plus 1 tablespoon of milk for milk wash
Or 1 9inch unbaked pie crust
DIRECTIONS-make step 1 of filling first as this takes 40-50 minutes to cook. Whilst cooking you can prepare the pastry.
To make pastry:
1. Mix flour, salt and sugar. Measure oil and milk together but don’t stir together. Pour the milk and oil into flour until combined and resembling a pastry. If it doesn’t come together add a little more milk.
2. Roll out pastry on greaseproof paper with a rolling pin (it will be hard to roll as small bits flake off, the greaseproof paper is the best thing to combat this) and roll out pastry to fit pie tin. Carefully lift pastry into greased pie dish. I found it difficult to get the fluted edge as I couldn’t roll the pastry out enough so if you want to get the edge which always looks nicer, roll out your remaining pastry and then cut into 1cms strips, Pinch the strips together down the length of the strip to make them 1/2 cms thickand then pinch it to make the fluted pattern. Lift lengths of this onto the edge of the pie crust and neaten the job. Do this until the whole pie crust edge has a fluted edge. Place pastry in freezer while you get the filling together.
To make filling:
1. Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and slip off the skins.
2. Break apart sweet potato in the bowl of an electric with a fork, it will be mushy so this will be easy. Add the butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust. Brush pastry edges with milk wash.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will be puffed up but will sink down as it cools.
If you enjoyed this post, why not share it with your friends?
What is NQN up to now?
NQN on Facebook
RSS
22 Comments | Add your own
It probably looks a bit curdled because the butter didn’t mix well with the sweet potato – which might’ve happened if both ingredients were at different temperatures. Sounds like it didn’t affect the end result though!
I love the sound of the molasses and the rum.. MMMmm!
That’s one very good looking pie Lorraine
Beautiful food styling too 
My brother-in-law migrates to the Oklahoma every Thanksgiving to eat with his family. He’s there now & my sister in Naremburn is home alone (and working).
What’s your personal preference, sweet potato pie or pumpkin pie?
that pie looks delicious! I agree with Y – molasses and rum…mmmmmm!
Lovely photos, especially that last one – you’ve gone all Vogue Entertaining on us!
That looks so good! Yum!
yum, glad I waited!
Looks delicious, it’s an interesting idea using sweet potato.
If you’ve got any left over… I would say THANKS for GIVING
Haha I agree with you -I’m all for celebrating all holidays as it simply means I have an excuse to eat more food (and sometimes open more presents)! Your sweet potato looks so homey and beautiful btw.
P.S. I’m a huge fan of Dexter too. I know he’s a murderer and all but he’s oh so fineee!
Where is your pic wearing Dexter shirt? I’m thinking of using ready made pastry sheet and putting purple sweet potato as I didn’t like too much fiber in orange sweet potato pie, will it work for this recipe? or may it fall off?
So rolling pastry is stress relief for you? I just need some stress relief after rolling it out myself – but I am sure the smell of this pie baking would soothe my shattered nerves
This looks absolutely delicious! And I am very envious of your perfect pie crust.
Hi Y-Hmmm I don’t remember to be honest, they must have been! The molasses and rum were so good in it
Hi Maria-Thankyou! In the absence of anything with a turkey on it I used birds
I’d love to migrate to the US for October-December (Halloween, Thanksgiving and a snowy Christmas-I’ve only had a couple of cold ones)
I love both actually! I think the little details like the molasses and rum are more likely to sway me than the main ingredients of sweet potato or pumpkin
Hi NayC-Thankyou so much!
Rum is great in pretty much anything isn’t it!
Hi the projectivist-Really? Thankyou! I was struggling on how to style this as I don’t have any Thanksgiving props at all.
Hi Blond Duck-Thankyou and Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Reesmki-Hehe thanks!
Hi Cappucino-Hehe always trying, have you tried that line on anyone else today?
Hi Jenny-Thankyou so much! I wonder if they put on a lot of weight between the Halloween candy, Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas roasts. Although it would be fun!
He is so sexy creepy! Although when I first saw it, I had to shake him of his identity as David Fisher from SFU
Hi Lilia-Ha I wouldn’t put that pic online. I’ve given that to my husband anyway. I don’t know much about purple sweet potato though although I don’t know why it wouldn’t work? Not sure what you mean by fall off?
Hi Johanna-I imagine I’m steamrolling over someone’s head
It makes the time pass quite well and before you know it, it’s rolled. Thankyou!
Hi Cakelaw-Thankyou so much! I was determined to make the pie crust look presentable -it wasn’t easy though!
I’d love to be in US for Thanksgiving too! My first Thanksgiving experience was in my first year of uni when my American flatmate cooked us a delicious dinner.
And the Thanksgiving sales would be a plus too, haha.
Out of curiosity, what mixer do you use? I think I shall finally buy one (been using a hand mixer for a while now), but don’t want to pay for a Kitchen Aid that costs so much more in UK than it does in US! Argh.
We don t celebrate Thanks giving here either. But this pie looks delicious. Great photos too
There was supposed to be a t-shirt?!?
Now I feel jipped!
It’s always tempting to play with the crime scene tape though. . .
Hi Su-Yin-Ooh lucky you, that would be brilliant! I use a Kitchenaid KSM150-sorry that doesn’t help does it if you’re wanting to buy something else. I think it’s one of the best kitchen purchases I’ve made thus far
I know the US prices are SO much lower, I even considered getting one shipped over but the voltage is different. Not fair is it 
Hi snooky doodle-Thanks so much! You guys have a big Christmas though don’t you?
Hi Amanda-Yes there was but apparently they were super quickly (store staff from what I hear-not that I blame them
). The only place that included the tshirt was online as the stores were sold out so I bought it there.
I saved the Crime Scene tape for future mischief
the sweet potato never had it so good. beautiful pie, lorraine.
I know.. life definitely isn’t fair. Ah well.
Hi grace-Thankyou so much!
Hi Su-yin-I wish I knew an American here in Sydney. I know a Canadian but that not really the same
Great-looking pie, Lorraine! I’m pleased to see that it contains plenty of nutmeg and rum—absolutely essential in my book.
And yay for Dexter!
Hi Angela-Thankyou so much! Yes it makes the world of difference. I love nutmeg too (and Dexter)
Sweet patatoe pie,,never tried that before. it looks quite good though,,and he, why not,,,must be a little like pumpkin pie?
Nice post:).
Post a Comment