Recipe: Sweet Potato Pie (2 pies, using cream cheese and heavy cream)

SWEET POTATO PIE

"What would Thanksgiving be without sweet potato pie? It's a staple at bakeries, and even grocery stores, throughout the country. What makes ours unique? Weeks before Thanksgiving, my mom starts making small batch after batch of light and flaky crust, which she and her helpers meticulously add to each pan by hand. And our filling is made with real sweet potatoes and just the right amount of spice-not too compact, but not too airy either. The recipe has taken years to perfect, but to this day, every October, my mom pulls out the recipe to make sure we have it just right."

3 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon regular salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2 recipes Pie Crust (recipe follows), prebaked in two 9-inch deep-dish pie dishes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Place the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and rub the skins with oil. Roast the sweet potatoes until they are tender when pierced with a fork, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool until easy enough to handle.

Using a knife, remove the skin of the sweet potatoes and place the flesh of the potatoes in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the potato flesh on medium-high speed to remove pulp, about 1 minute. Push the flesh through a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

In another bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and salt on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat until well blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended.

Add the mashed sweet potatoes, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, and heavy cream and beat until smooth. Pour the mixture into the prebaked pie crusts.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake until the centers are set, about 55 minutes. Transfer the pies to a wire rack to cool completely.

PIE CRUST
Makes one (9-inch) crust

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon regular salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 ounce Philadelphia(r) cream cheese
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Use your fingers to mix the butter, shortening, and cream cheese into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse crumbs.

Use your hands to mix the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of ice water into the crumb mixture. Check the consistency of the dough by squeezing a small amount between your thumb and forefingers. The dough should hold together. If the mixture is dry, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach the desired consistency.

Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 5 days.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness and place it in a 9-inch deep-dish pie dish. Trim the dough along the edge, leaving a 1/2 to 3/4-inch overhang. Pinch to form a decorative edge. Use the tines of a fork to prick the crust on the bottom. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

To prebake the empty pie shell, line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or baking beans. Bake in a preheated 425 degrees F oven for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 2 pies; 6 to 8 servings each
Source: The Brown Betty Cookbook by Linda Hinton Brown and Norrinda Brown Hayat