Sweet Potato Meringue Pie
Sweet Potato Pie is not uncommon as a Thanksgiving dessert. This particular pie, however, with its cloud of fluffy meringue and hint of coconut is a real standout. Sweet, but not too sweet, it's just plain delicious. Sometimes it's possible to gild a lily.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
- 3 well-beaten egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup half-and-half or evaporated milk
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
- 3 egg whites
- 6 tablespoons sugar
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Combine the mashed sweet potatoes and egg yolks.
- Add the melted butter, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, nutmeg, vanilla, coconut and milk.
- Pour mixture into pie shell, and bake at 325°F until set, 40 to 45 minutes.
- Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Add remaining sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Spread meringue on hot filling, sealing to edges.
- Return pie to oven and bake an additional 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Total time: 1 Hr 15 Min
Note: There's much online discussion about how long to bake or boil a sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are dense and take longer to cook than white potatoes. Also, the amount of time it takes to cook a sweet potato depends on its size. So there's really only one sure way of determining doneness: After about 45 minutes of either baking (at 425°F) or boiling, start testing with a fork. Poke the potatoes in the thickest part. They're done when the fork slides in easily.