Sweet Potato Pecan Pie with Cinnamon Ice Cream

Since Thanksgiving is just a few days away, I thought I’d share some of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes from years past.  I haven’t hosted Thanksgiving at our house yet (though I’d love to do that someday), but I always bring dishes, usually desserts, along to Thanksgiving dinner at my parents’ house and The Picky Apple’s parents’ house.

I baked this pie for Thanksgiving a few years ago, and everyone seemed to really enjoy it.  The recipe caught my eye because one of my favorite restaurants, Pappadeaux Seafood, serves a Sweet Potato Pecan Pie.  (In fact, they are selling whole pies for Thanksgiving for $14.95 and $6.95 a slice….perhaps I should get in on the holiday pie-selling business!?)  Definitely don’t leave out the cinnamon ice cream, even if you use store bought.  It completes the dessert!

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie with Cinnamon Ice Cream

from Cottage Living Magazine, November 2005

Ingredients: (note: this ingredient list is a little confusing, so read through it carefully)

• 1 (9-inch) pie shell (if I have time, I’ll share my homemade pie crust recipe this week too!)
• 1 cup sweet potatoes, mashed
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tbsp whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
• 1/4 plus 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup pecans, halved
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• Cinnamon Ice Cream (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Bake pie shell 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned; remove from oven.  Lower temperature to 350 degrees F.

Combine sweet potato and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl.  Add 1/2 tsp vanilla and next 3 ingredients; stir until smooth and completely combined.  Spread in an even layer in bottom of shell.  Add chopped pecans evenly over sweet potato mixture.  Lay pecan halves flat in a circle around perimeter.

Combine granulated sugar and 2 large eggs in a separate bowl; whisk until well blended.  Whisk in corn syrup, melted butter, and remaining 1 tsp vanilla.  Pour mixture slowly over pecan layer.  Do not overfill.  (You may have excess.)

Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 to 55 minutes or until pie is puffed, set, and golden brown.  Remove and let cool.  Serve with Cinnamon Ice Cream.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 cups half and half
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 6 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt

Combine half-and-half and whipping cream in a stainless steel saucepan.  Cook over medium heat just until mixture begins to boil.

Whisk together yolks and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl.  Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into yolk mixture and pour back into saucepan.

Cook over low heat (do not boil), stirring constantly, until custard begins to thicken and coats back of a spoon.  Strain into a metal bowl; place bowl in an ice-water bath.  Cool completely, stirring occasionally.

Pour mixture into electric freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.