Serves: 8
Total Calories: 404

CANDIED PECANS
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
Small pinch of cayenne pepper
1 cup pecans halves
CRUST
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water plus another 1 to 2 teaspoons if needed
FILLING
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 cups mashed and lump-free cooked sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon whiskey, preferably Southern Comfort
1/2 cup evaporated milk

1. To make the candied pecans: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, water, and cayenne until blended. Add the nuts and toss to coat. Transfer the nuts to the baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove, toss the nuts, and return to the oven so that more of the sugar can bake onto the nuts, about 5 minutes. Slide the foil and nuts off the baking sheet and onto a rack. After the nuts are cool, coarsely chop and set aside.
3. To make the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the shortening and butter. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, work the shortening and butter into the flour mixture until crumbly and some pea-size pieces of fat remain. If time permits, chill the flour mixture for 30 minutes.
4. Drizzle the ice water over the flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until all the flour is moistened and the pastry just clears the side of the bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons water can be added if needed). Using lightly floured hands, gather the dough into a ball. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and, if needed, soften slightly for easier handling. Roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured board, between 2 sheets of parchment paper or heavy-duty plastic wrap, or on a pastry cloth with a cloth-covered rolling pin. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and ease into the pan. Trim the overhanging edge of pastry about 1/4 inch from the pan’s rim. Chill the crust while making the filling.
6. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
7. To make the filling: In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer set on medium speed, beat the eggs for about 30 seconds. Beat in the sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, ginger, allspice, vanilla, bourbon, and the evaporated milk until smooth and blended.
8. Place the prepared pie shell on a baking sheet. Pour the filling into the chilled pie shell. Bake in the lower third of the oven until the filling is puffed and lightly cracked around the edges and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer to a rack. While the pie is still warm, distribute the nuts over the top and press in lightly to form an even crust. Let cool at least 90 minutes.


From Holiday Baking. Text copyright © 2005 by Sara Perry. Photographs copyright © 2005 by Leigh Beisch. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 8
Total Calories: 404
Calories from Fat: 201

More Recipes from the Holiday Baking Cookbook:
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Banana Wafer Pudding Pie
Brown Sugar Benne Cookies
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cupcakes
Church Lady's Frosting
Church Supper Carrot Cake
Cream Cheese Frosting
Kwanzaa Puzzle Cookies
Mama's Yummy Sweet Spoonbread Souffle
North African Mint Tea
Soul-Satisfying Biscuits and Gravy
Southern Comfort Sweet Potato Pecan Pie
Wild Rice and Dried Cherry Muffins