Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie

I had some ingredients that were hanging out and taking up some valuable space in my kitchen, like four good-sized sweet potatoes leftover from a 10-lb bag I bought at Costco, and half a carton of buttermilk, which I needed to make these.  So,  I thought, "Hmmmm....what can I make with sweet potato and buttermilk.......sweet potato, buttermilk........  Duh! PIE!"  I know you're rolling your eyes at me right now. Forgive me, I'm new at this baking thing.   

This was the very first pie I made....ever.  Sure, I've made a pumpkin pie once or twice for Thanksgiving before.  But, those don't count.  I made them with pre-made pie crusts and canned pumpkin.  See, I told you they don't count.  So, for this pie, my very first pie, I was a wee bit scared.  I knew pie crusts were difficult to make, but I've been able to pull off some difficult recipes on the first try.  So, I imagined my first pie looking beautiful - with a flaky, golden crust, and nice, even crimps perfectly framing the smooth delicious filling.  Unfortunately, as you can see, that wasn't the case.

Just look at that horrid crust.  Look how thick it is, and it was only slightly flaky.  Plus, the darn crust shrank when I pre-baked it.  I don't think it's supposed to do that.  And, I swear I crimped the edges around the entire pie, but it's only somewhat noticeable on 1/4 of the crust.  The rest of the crust looks like my 4-year old niece had her hands on it.  But, I guess it sort of gives it a rustic appearance, though, right? 

   

As for the filling, now that was the easy part.  It's very hard to go wrong with this light, silky, delicious filling.  The whipped egg whites give it a fluffy texture, and the tangy buttermilk adds another tasty layer of flavor to the pie.  So, even though it didn't look pretty, I'm still giving myself a pat on the back for the taste.  The important thing is MAC liked it.  And, I'll tell you a little secret...  if you have any marshmallow creme left over from the whoopie pies, add a little dollop of it on top.  I promise you, it will elevate this pie to another level! 

Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie

only slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch dice

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3 large eggs, separated

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 pre-baked pie crust, 9"

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

2. Add water to a small stock pot fitted with a steamer basket suspended over it and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add the sweet potatoes, cover and steam until fork-tender, about 20 minutes.   Transfer the sweet potatoes to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Mash them into a smooth puree with a fork or potato masher.  Keep 1 1/4 cups puree and discard the excess.  Add butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, then mix thoroughly with a spatula after each addition.  

3.  In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks lightly for 30 seconds.  Add the sugar and beat until they're a creamy lemon-yellow color, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Add the egg mixture to the sweet potato mixture and stir until the eggs are completely incorporated. Add the flour a little at a time, stirring after each addition, until incorporated.  Add the buttermilk and stir until smooth and even.

4.  In a clean bowl, use an electric hand mixer to whisk the egg whites to soft peaks.  Gently fold the egg whites into the sweet potato mixture until combined. Pour the mixture into your pre-baked crust.  Bake on the middle rack of the oven until the center is firm and set, 35 - 40 minutes.

5. Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a rack.  Serve at room temperature.