Holy cow! Thanksgiving sure did sneak up on us. I honestly can’t believe it is that time of the year again. I’m so excited because it is my favorite time of the year. The last two months of the year are all about food. There is Thanksgiving and Christmas (and any of the other holidays that you celebrate). For my family, we also have Chinese New Year. These holidays are usually celebrated over a feast of turkey, casseroles and pies. Oh pies, pies, pies. Everyone loves a slice of warm, delicious pie topped with freshly whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. No Thanksgiving is complete without pies. There are so many to choose from and this year I decided that we will make a Paleo Sweet Potato Pecan Pie.
Back in early October, we visited Devin’s grandparents. We love visiting because we get to spend quality time with Grandma and Grandpa. It also gives us an excuse to escape the city and enjoy the countryside. This trip was particularly memorable. Grandpa and Grandma have a good sized backyard. Within this yard contains an amazing garden filled with homegrown produce and old nut trees (walnuts and pecans). We helped Grandma harvest some freshly fallen pecans. This was my first time collecting pecans and I have to say, it was so fun. While we gathered the pecans, we also learned that Rue has an absurd fascination with buckets. We tried to take the yellow bucket away but Rue fought us like a little old lady fending off a purse snatcher. Long story short, we now have a surplus of buckets at home. During this visit, we also learned that Grandpa recently harvested two buckets of sweet potatoes from the garden. This is how I got my inspiration for my Sweet Potato Pecan Pie: all from Grandma and Grandpa’s garden.
Before we get started on my Sweet Potato Pecan Pie, lets associate some delicious food memories. Dev told me that one of her most unforgettable childhood memories was going over to her grandparents. Grandma would always have one or two homemade pies cooling at the end of the counter. It was usually her famous apple crisp and a variation of pecan pie. When Dev walked into the kitchen, there was always an enveloping aroma of cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. This gave me an idea to put a slight twist to a traditional pie crust. I decided to do a “Grandma’s Kitchen” crust, incorporating those aromatic spices into the crust, filling your kitchen with the same great smells. I would like to dedicate this Sweet Potato Pecan Pie recipe to Devin’s grandparents. I really want to thank them for welcoming me into their family with open arms and treating me like one of their own grand kids. Without further delay, let’s get baking!
Paleo Sweet Potato Pecan Pie:
Crust:
1/2 Cup Nut Meal (Cashew Meal)
1/2 Cup Cassava Flour
1/4 Cup Coconut Flour
1 Tsp Vietnamese Cinnamon (you can use Chinese cinnamon for spicier flavor)
1/4 Tsp Allspice Powder
1/2 Tsp Ginger Powder
1/4 Tsp Ground Cardamon
1/8 Tsp Ground Cloves
3 Tbsp Grassfed Butter/Ghee (Chilled)
1 Tbsp Almond Milk
2 Free Range Large Eggs
Sweet Potato Filling:
1 lb Mashed Sweet Potato
1/2 Cup Honey or Coconut Nectar
3 Free Range Large Eggs
1/4 Cup Coconut Cream
2 Tbsp Grassfed Butter/Ghee
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp Vietnamese Cinnamon (again, Chinese cinnamon is spicier)
1/2 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 Tbsp Lemon Zest
Top Pecan filling:
1/4 Cup Coconut Sugar
3 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1 Free Range Large Egg
Maple Glazed Pecans:
1½ Cup Pecan Halves
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
1/4 Tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Grassfed Butter/Ghee
This week, we are not going to talk much about the ingredients. The reason being, the ingredients are so simple and can be found everywhere. With that said, let’s dive right in. To start the Sweet Potato Pecan Pie, we will start by glazing the pecans with maple syrup. I would start by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. Next, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Pour in pecans and let them roast slightly before pouring in maple syrup and sea salt. After a minute or two, pour in the maple syrup and sea salt. Stir the pecans continuously to keep them from burning. Keep stirring until the maple syrup is almost simmers down completely. After all the maple syrup is gone, spread the pecans over the parchment paper and let them cool.
Before starting the crust for the Sweet Potato Pecan Pie, we need to cook the sweet potatoes. I like to roast the sweet potatoes in the oven until they are fork tender. Roasting allows the sweet potatoes to slightly caramelize and make for a sweeter pie without any extra sugar. If you don’t have the time to preoccupy the oven, you can also boil them.
Let’s get started on the crust. Preheat the oven to 350°F. The crust prep is really easy. In a food processor, mix all pie crust ingredients and let it process until everything is well incorporated. Press the dough into a 9 inch pie dish. I like to press it in fairly thin as I am not a fan of super thick pie crusts. When I eat pie, I want more filing than crust, but of course, that is a personal preference. Bake the crust for 6-8 Minutes. Make sure you don’t brown the crust, because you will be baking it some more later. Set the crust aside and we will prep the filling.
The reason it is called a Sweet Potato Pecan Pie, is because it is the best of both worlds. I love Pecan Pies, but am not a big fan of the syrupy filling. It is always so heavy that I am usually done after one slice. So instead of the syrup filing, I decided to use a sweet potato pie filing. Once the sweet potato is ready to mash, peel them and throw them in a mixer with a paddle attachment along with all of the sweet potato filing ingredients. The paddle attachment will mash the sweet potatoes and mix everything together. It is that easy! Pour the sweet potato filing into the pie crust. On top of the filing, evenly spread out the maple glazed pecans. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the top filing ingredients of maple syrup, 1 egg and coconut sugar. Pour that evenly over the pecans. I will note, only pour in enough top filling to cover the pecans halfway. You don’t want to completely submerge them.
Now pop that beautiful Sweet Potato Pecan Pie into the oven and bake it at 350°F for 1 hour to 1½. Your bake time may vary depending on the temperature of your filing when you start baking. You will see the pie start to dome, but don’t sweat it. It is normal and will flatten out once the pie cools off. Once the pie cools off, it is ready to serve. This is probably one of the best pies I have ever made. The filing is not overly sweet. The coconut cream helps to create a almost custardy filing which is very light. Paired with the maple pecan topping is a perfect balance of sweetness. The salt in the glazed pecan really helps bring out the sweetness as well. Overall, I am very pleased with the outcome and hope you are too. There you have it, a Paleo Sweet Potato Pecan Pie and until next time, eat up my friends!
