All About Pie

What type of pie crust would you pair with a sweet potato pie?

I made my very first sweet potato pie last night. It happens to be my father in laws favorite. After, when he tried the first bite and demolished another 4 slices, we talked about pie crusts. He said he was more of a fan of "less sweet" pie crusts. I like sweet pie crusts. Which do you think goes better with the more flavorful, not-as-sweet-as-pumpkin-pie sweet potato pie? Sweet or not? What does the recipe call for?

Public Comments

1. these are 2 of my all time fav sweet potato pie recipes sweet http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/233021 not soo sweet http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001581sweet_potato_pie_with_pecan_topping.php
2. I always make a regular plain pastry crust. It's shortening, flour and water with a bit of salt. I think a gingersnap crust would be awesome, though.
3. I prefer the "not so sweet" kind .. Just flaky, bready, and crusty. Lol.
4. Instead of a sweet crust because the sweet potato is complex carbohydrates I would try a savoury pastry such as a ruff puff pastry. I think it would complement it better.
5. Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue Servings: Makes 10 servings Ingredients: Crust: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (made from about 7 1/2 ounces graham crackers, finely ground in processor) 3 tablespoons sugar 6 to 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Filling: 3 pounds medium red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams) 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1/4 cup sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt Marshmallow Meringue: 1 7-ounce jar Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme 3 large egg whites 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup sugar Preparation: For crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar in medium bowl. Add 6 tablespoons melted butter and stir until crumbs feel moist when pressed together with fingertips, adding 1 tablespoon melted butter if crumb mixture is dry. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish, building up sides 1/4 inch above rim of dish. Bake crust until set and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on rack. DO AHEAD: Pie crust can be made 2 days ahead. Cover pie crust and let stand at room temperature. For filling: Preheat oven to 350°F. Pierce sweet potatoes all over with fork; place potatoes on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are very tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut potatoes open and scoop out pulp. Transfer pulp to processor and puree until smooth. Set aside 2 cups sweet potato puree for filling; cool completely (reserve any remaining puree for another use). DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine 2 cups sweet potato puree, sweetened condensed milk, and all remaining ingredients in large bowl; whisk until well blended and smooth. Pour filling into crust. Bake pie until puffed around edges and set in center, about 50 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool. Refrigerate pie at least 4 hours or overnight. For marshmallow meringue: Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Using rubber spatula, scrape marshmallow creme into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in another large bowl until foamy. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff and glossy peaks form. Add 1/2 cup beaten egg whites to marshmallow creme and stir with rubber spatula or spoon just until incorporated to lighten (marshmallow creme is very sticky and will be difficult to blend at first, but blending will become easier as remaining whites are folded in). Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions just until incorporated. Spread meringue over top of cold pie, mounding slightly in center and swirling with knife to create peaks. Bake pie just until peaks and ridges of marshmallow meringue are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Let stand at room temperature until meringue is cool. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let pie stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Sweet Potato Meringue Pie Servings size 9- to 10-inch pie The lull between the main course and dessert is the best time to top the sweet potato pie with meringue and brown it. Cooks tempted to do this several hours ahead should be aware that the meringue will most likely weep. Ingredients: For filling 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 medium) 1 2/3 cups half-and-half 1/2 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt pastry dough for a single-crust 9- to 10-inch pie For meringue 3 large egg whites 3/4 cup sugar confectioners' sugar for dusting Preparation: Make filling: Preheat oven to 400°F. and line a baking sheet with foil. Prick potatoes and bake on baking sheet in middle of oven 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until very soft. Cool potatoes until they can be handled and scoop out enough flesh to measure 2 cups, reserving any remaining flesh for another use. In a blender or food processor purée potatoes with remaining filling ingredients until smooth. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring filling to room temperature before proceeding. On a lightly floured surface roll out dough into a 14-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and fit into a 9- to 10-inch (1-quart) glass pie plate, crimping edge decoratively. Chill shell 30 minutes Preheat oven to 375°F. with a baking sheet on middle rack. Pour filling into shell and bake on heated baking sheet in oven 1 hour, or until filling is set but center still shakes, slightly. (Filling will continue to set as pie cools.) Cool pie on a rack. Pie may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered loosely. Bring pie to room temperature before proceeding. Preheat oven to 450°F. Make meringue: In a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water stir together whites and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Remove bowl from pan and with an electric mixer beat meringue on high speed until it holds stiff, glossy peaks. Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe tall pointed mounds close together, covering pie. Bake pie in middle of oven until meringue is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Just before serving, dust pie lightly with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or room temperature. Sweet Potato Pie Servings: Serves 4 to 6. Ingredients: 3 large sweet potatoes 2 eggs, separated 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg Dash of salt 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 standard recipe plain pastry 2 tablespoons powdered sugar Preparation: Boil sweet potatoes until tender. Peel and mash. Add egg yolks, nutmeg, salt and brown sugar. Beat mixture until it is creamy. Turn into pastry-lined 8" pie pan. Bake in hot (400°F.) oven until crust browns, 20-25 minutes. Top with meringue made by beating egg whites with powdered sugar until mixture holds its shape. Brown lightly in a slow (300°F.) oven. Butter Pastry Dough Servings: Makes enough dough for a single-crust 12-inch tart. Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits 6 to 7 tablespoons ice water Preparation: In a large bowl whisk together flour and salt and with a pastry blender or fingertips blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork to incorporate, until mixture begins to form a dough. On a work surface smear dough in 3 or 4 forward motions with heel of hand to slightly develop gluten in flour and make dough easier to work with. Form dough into a ball and flatten to form a disk. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour. Pastry dough may be made 1 week ahead and chilled. hope these help. enjoy.
6. You should be able to use the standard double pie crust that is used for fruit pies. The main ingredients would be just flour, butter or shortening, and cold water. I think the recipe is as follows: 2 cups flour 3/4 cups butter (or shortening) 3-4 tablespoons ice water. The cold water helps to make the crust flakier. I usually add butter to my crust to make it more flavorful. You can add a tablespoon of cinnamon or nutmeg to the flour if you choose to add a bit of spice to it, but that's up to you. When you prepare your ingredients, add a couple of ice cubes to 1/2 cup of water. That way when you are ready to add it by the tablespoon, you'll have the cold water you need for the pie. Because the sweet potato pie only needs one crust, you can divide the dough in half and either make 2 pies or freeze the second half for another time.
7. I would always use a regular short dough pie crust. If you HAD to use a cookie crust, then I'd use ginger snaps instead of graham crackers. The ginger would compliment the filling, and it isn't quite as sickly sweet as a graham cracker crust.
8. I've made apple , pumpkin, butternut squash and sweet potatoe pies with a ginger snap pie crust and it's such a pleasant change and a lot easier that a pastry crust http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/233021