If you can't find Patti LaBelle's sweet potato pie at Wal-Mart -- the one that went viral this season, thanks to a fan's YouTube video -- you can always make this recipe of hers at home. This makes a light-textured pie, not too sweet and with a nice spice flavor, with a flaky and tender crust. In LaBelle's 1999 cookbook, she called this Norma's Black-Bottom Sweet Potato Pie. "Black-bottom" is a reference to the technique of baking the crust first with a little brown sugar on it before filling with the sweet potato mixture and baking again.
You'll need a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
The pie crust dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Any leftover pureed sweet potatoes can be frozen for up to 6 months. The pie can be baked and refrigerated a day in advance.
Adapted from "LaBelle Cuisine: Recipes to Sing About," by Patti LaBelle (Clarkson Potter, 1999).
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Ingredients
measuring cupServings: 8-10 (makes one 9-inch pie)
For the crust
For the filling
Directions
Step 1
For the crust: Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the shortening. Use a fork or a pastry blender to cut the shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-size bits.
Step 2
Stirring with the fork, gradually add enough of the water until the mixture clumps together (you might need more or less water). Gather up the dough and press it into a thick disk. If desired, wrap the dough in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and as long as 3 days.
Step 3
Lightly flour a work surface. Place the chilled dough on it; roll out to a round that's 13 inches across. Fold the dough in half. Transfer to the pie plate; gently unfold the dough to fit into it. Trim the dough as needed to leave a 1-inch overhang. (Bake or reserve the scraps for another use.)
Step 4
Fold the dough under itself so the edge of the fold is flush with the edge of the pan. Flute the dough around the edge of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you start the filling (and up to 1 hour).
Step 5
For the filling: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a generous pinch of salt, then the sweet potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium; cook until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Step 6
Drain the sweet potatoes, letting them fall into a colander. Run under cold water until cool enough to handle. Discard the skins; transfer the cooked sweet potatoes to a mixing bowl. Use a hand-held electric mixer to blend until creamy and smooth. You'll need 3 cups for the filling; scoop out the remainder and reserve for another use.
Step 7
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Step 8
Uncover the pie shell; brush the interior with the 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of brown sugar over the bottom of the pie shell. Par-bake until the crust is set and just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. (If the pie shell puffs, do not prick it.) Let it cool.
Step 9
Meanwhile, add the 7 tablespoons of melted butter, brown sugar, the granulated sugar, eggs, half-and-half, cinnamon and nutmeg to the pureed sweet potatoes. Beat on medium speed until well incorporated.
Step 10
Pour into the par-baked pie shell, smoothing the surface. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake (middle rack) until a knife inserted in the center of the filling comes out clean yet the filling still jiggles a bit, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Step 11
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Nutritional Facts
Per serving (based on 10)
Calories
430
Fat
21 g
Saturated Fat
10 g
Carbohydrates
57 g
Sodium
190 mg
Cholesterol
65 mg
Protein
5 g
Fiber
3 g
Sugar
30 g
This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.
Adapted from "LaBelle Cuisine: Recipes to Sing About," by Patti LaBelle (Clarkson Potter, 1999).
Tested by Joe Yonan.
Published November 14, 2015
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