Gobble, Gobble: Sweet Potato Pie with Gingerbread Crust, From Chef Mickie Crockett

<p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;”>In the Crockett home, the anticipation of Thanksgiving builds every year the closer we get to one of our favorite holidays. The memories of walking through the door and being struck by the intense and savory aromas from the kitchen…Buttery Turkey, Brown Butter-Pecan Pie, that incredible Cornbread-Sage Dressing…my Mother had always been at the helm of our traditional family fare and inspired a creative and competitive cooking edge in all of her 5 children that lead to never having a “big enough” dinner table. This recipe in particular is one that I made just for her.

To my Mother, who always taught me to cook with my heart. And yes, the extra Fresh Whipped Cream in the recipe is for her!

Texas Sweet Potato Pie with Gingerbread Crust & Fresh Whipped Cream

Yield: 1 – 9” Pie

Ginger Bread Crust:

4 oz. Butter, unsalted

3 oz. Brown Sugar

pinch Salt

¼ t. Cinnamon, ground

½ t. Ginger, ground

¼ t. Nutmeg, ground

1/16 t. Clove, ground

3 oz. Molasses

1 each Eggs

1 t. Vanilla Extract

½ t. Baking Powder

2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour

1. Sift the Baking Powder & Flour, set aside.

2. In an electric mixer, cream the Butter, Brown Sugar, Salt & Spices together with a paddle attachment until light & fluffy.

3. Add the Molasses, Eggs & Vanilla, combine well.

4. Gradually add the sifted Baking Powder & Flour, 1 cup at a time, to the mixture to form soft dough.

5. Wrap the dough in plastic & chill dough in refrigerator to firm for rolling.

6. Roll dough to 1/4” thickness and place into pie pan.

Texas Sweet Potato Pie Filling:

4 pounds Fresh Texas Sweet Potatoes

3 each Eggs

2 cups Brown Sugar

2 oz. Molasses

4 T. Cinnamon, ground

½ t. Nutmeg, ground

1/8 t. Clove, ground

½ t. Ginger, ground

1/8 t. Salt

1 t. Vanilla Extract

6 oz. Evaporated Milk

4 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk

1. Wash & dry the Sweet Potatoes, place on a sheet tray & bake at 350 degrees until tender, 45-60 minutes, depending on size. Remove from oven, let cool, while still warm peel & mash the Sweet Potatoes until smooth. Let cool completely.

2. In an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment combine all ingredients, mix well. Batter should be smooth consistency.

3. Fill the Gingerbread Crust with the batter & place in the center of a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 50-60 minutes, or until just set in the center. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Fresh Whipped Cream:

2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream

¾ cup Powdered Sugar

1 t. Vanilla Extract

1. Place all ingredients into a large stainless mixing bowl, using a balloon whip, whip the cream to forms peaks.

2. Taste it just to make sure it has enough sugar! If you’re family is like mine, you may need a little bit more!

Mickie Crockett is the Director of Operations at Twin Peaks restaurant.