You see, it was Thanksgiving.
And there were pies in the oven. Two pies: Apple and Sweet Potato. I’d never made Sweet Potato Pie before, but I thought it would be quite cool (and delightfully degenerate) to serve a pie as it had been served in the past: as a side dish with the turkey. Who needs a pie dessert when you can have pie with the meal?
So I took a simple recipe from The Open Hearth Cookbook and cooked that pie in the oven (really, I had enough on my hands without worrying about open hearth cooking). And when the pies were cooking, perfuming our kitchen with that Thanksgiving sweet spice, my husband-to-be took a knee, held my hand and asked me to marry him.
I was speechless, couldn’t even say ‘yes’ though I sure was nodding a lot. And thankfully, I pulled myself together before the pies burned. The Sweet Potato pie was the hit of Thanksgiving, and will always have a special spot on our table.
Why did he choose that precise moment to pop the question? He said the aromas are the reason: "I was simply overwhelmed by the smell of homemade pies in the oven."
Sweet Potato Pie
Adapted from The Open Hearth Cookbook
Serves 8-12
I made this pie with just a tablespoon of brown sugar, since I wanted to serve it as an accompaniment to the meal, and didn’t want to overwhelm anyone with sweetness. If you’d like to serve it for dessert, add the maple syrup and brown sugar to taste; though if you’re topping with marshmallows, go easy on those sweeteners.
2 pounds sweet potatoes
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 tablespoon brown sugar (or more, to taste)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (optional)
One 9-inch pie shell, unbaked
2 cups mini marshmallows for top (optional)
1. Boil sweet potatoes in water, skins on, or roast in a 400F oven until cooked through (about 45 minutes). Method is up to you; point is, cook ’em.
2. Preheat an oven to 350F. When sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and mash in a large bowl with softened butter. Add eggs, brown sugar, baking power, vanilla, and spices, salt, and maple syrup, if desired, and mix well. Taste and adjust for sweetness.
3. Place unbaked pie shell in a pie plate. Fill with sweet potato filling, smoothing off top with a spatula. Top with marshmallows, if desired, and bake until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Allison Fishman is the host of Yahoo’s Blue Ribbon Hunter and author of You Can Trust A Skinny Cook . For delicious humor & recipes, visit allisonfishman.com or follow @allisonfishman on Twitter.