Sundays with Sparky - Sweet Potato Fluff Pie

Doesn't that sound decadent?  A truly sinful dessert that will have you joyfully leaping off your diet?  I thought so, too, but when I read the ingredients list, I realized that this dessert wasn't all that different than your average marshmallow-and-pecan-topped sweet potato side dish. Of course, said holiday side dishes aren't exactly calorie conscious, either, but just think, you're getting over 300% of your Vitamin A! (Relax, kids, I know better than to say that pie is a vegetable!)

At any rate, one of our traditions is to take pies to our local firehouse on holidays, and Sparky and I decided that this one would be fun to make, so make it we did.  It has the added bonus of being a meringue-topped pie that uses the yolks in the filling, so there's no odd egg-parts left in your fridge.

3 large sweet potatoes
pastry for a 9-inch pie crust (see here for a number of recipes)
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 eggs, separated

1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

First, scrub your potatoes thoroughly in the sink and then prick them all over with a fork, or in our case, a retro corn pick.  Then bake them in the microwave until they are completely cooked, and you can easily slip a fork into the center (8-12 minutes on high, if you don't have a nifty "potato" button like we do.)  Scoop them out of their skins into your mixing bowl.  Add the butter. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your pie plate with piecrust, and crimp a high edge as you allow the potatoes to cool slightly and the butter to melt.  Add the remaining ingredients up to the eggs, and start your mixer on low speed.  Separate the eggs, and add the yolks to the sweet potatoes as they whip, carefully reserving the whites for the topping.

When your potatoes are smooth and fragrant, pour them into the piecrust, and pop the pie into your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.  About 10 minutes before your filling is done, put the egg whites into a clean mixing bowl, and beat them with a clean whisk attachment until stiff.  Add the remaining sugar and vanilla, and beat until you have glossy, stiff peaks.  

Remove the pie from the oven when it is set and the piecrust is beginning to brown.  Place it on a stable trivet or folded kitchen towel, and top it with the egg whites, making peaks and valleys (this will give you a variation in color.)  Put the pie back in the oven until the meringue is browned and beautiful, about 10 minutes.  Allow to cool before serving.

Enjoy!