Mi-Mi King’s Sweet Potato Pie

Excerpt from Life of Fire, Pat Martin

Makes 8-10 servings

FOR THE FILLING

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1¼ pounds) - peeled, quartered, and sliced into ¼-inch cubes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon pure pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon orange extract
½ teaspoon coconut extract
½ teaspoon lemon extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 Pie Crust (recipe follows), unbaked

MAKE THE FILLING

In a small saucepan, combine the sweet potatoes with the water to cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Drain the potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth and let cool slightly. Add the butter and beat until incorporated. Gradually add the sugar and beat to combine. Add the egg yolks, one a time, and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla, orange, coconut, lemon, and almond extracts and beat until combined. 

Prepare the pie dough, roll out, and line a 9-inch pie pan as directed. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and spread it out evenly. 

Bake until the filling is set and a toothpick inserted into the filling comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

PIE CRUST
Makes one 9-inch pie crust

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2½ to 3 tablespoons ice-cold water

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the shortening and work it into the flour using a fork or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles small peas. Add 2½ tablespoons of the cold water and work it into the mixture until it forms a ball of dough, adding small splashes of additional water if the dough is too dry to come together. Flatten the dough ball into a disk, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use, at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days).

LINE A PIE PAN

Place the ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and pat into a disk. Roll out the dough into a round about 11 inches in diameter. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch standard pie pan, press it into the sides and bottom of the pan, and fold the edge over onto itself and crimp it all the way around. Prick the bottom of the pie shell all over with the tines of a fork.   

TO PARBAKE THE CURST

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lay a piece of parchment down over the pie shell and fill the pie weights or dried beans in a single layer to prevent the dough from rising. Place the crust in the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. 

TO FULLY BAKE THE CRUST

Follow the directions for parbaking, then remove the parchment and pie weights and continue baking until the crust is golden brown and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.