Published November 1, 1999.
For a sweet potato pie recipe that would really taste like sweet potato pie, we microwaved and mashed the potatoes, which preserved some bite in their texture. White sugar and a touch of molasses brought us still closer to the pie we were looking for. But what finally pushed our sweet potato pie recipe out of the pretty good category and into pretty amazing was melting brown sugar on the crust before adding the potato filling. The pecan pie–like sweetness of the sugar perfectly complemented the filling, which had maintained a bright orange color that spoke loudly of sweet potatoes.
For prebaking the pie shell, we prefer metal or ceramic pie weights because of their heft and ability to conduct heat. Remove the foil lining and weights only after the dough has lost its wet look and has turned straw-colored from its original yellow hue. This will prevent the sides of the pie shell from slipping down and losing their shape. The sweet potatoes cook quickly in the microwave but can also be pricked with a fork and baked uncovered in a 400-degree oven until tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Some tasters preferred a stronger bourbon flavor in the filling, so we give a range below. If you like molasses, use the optional tablespoon; a few tasters felt it deepened the sweet potato flavor. Serve the pie with whipped cream.
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