Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. In addition to spending quality time with my family and loved ones, I also look forward to the delicious array of food that will be presented at the dinner table - or in my case, tables.
Growing up, the aroma of turkey roasting in the oven would wake me in the wee hours of the morning. My mom always makes a Thanksgiving feast for lunch. From her perfectly roasted turkey to her sweet and savory pineapple baked ham, scrumptious pancit (Filipino Noodles), Filipino veggie dishes, mashed potatoes and an assortment of desserts.
Then, several hours later…off to my aunt’s for another gluttonous meal, which includes, as you guessed, more turkey, honey baked ham, cranberries, string beans, and stuffing. Of course, since we are Filipino, dinner would not be complete without a huge display of Filipino food – lechon, lumpia, pinkabet, arroz caldo, just to name a few. As well as other ethnic food from Guatmelan, to Mexican, Hawaiian and any other dishes our family feels like bringing.
Ahhh yes, our Thanksgiving is a melting pot of cuisine from all around the world. It is the absolute best. And I haven’t even touched on the desserts.
Speaking of desserts, people often say that a Thanksgiving feast is not complete without pumpkin pie. But, hello!?! What about Sweet Potato Pie? It's just as easy to make, and also oh so very good for you. Just search the internet for the benefits of sweet potato (aka yams) and you'll know what I'm talking about. So, let’s give Sweet Potatoes some love this Thanksgiving.
Sweet Potato Pie with Whip Cream
The recipe I have is so simple. I am all about quick and easy, especially during the holidays when there is a long list of things to do. So this is one of my go to desserts.
When I first made this, I realized I did not have enough ingredients needed to make the classic crust (which usually requires butter, ice cold water and a lot of kneading, folding and rolling) and I was too lazy to go to the market and grab a ready made crust. So, good ol’ internet, I found a recipe that did not use butter OR a rolling pin - just a fork and your hands. Surprisingly, it came out really good. It was so light and flaky. This has now become my go to recipe for simple pie crusts.
Here's the recipe...
Pie Filling:
¾ cup white sugar
2 cups of sweet potato yams (usually around two big pieces)
½ cup softened butter
½ cup almond milk
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Wash the sweet potatoes and boil them in a pot of water for about an hour. You can poke them around with a fork to see if they are cooked or not. Also, the skin on the yams will start to peel off.
While boiling the sweet potatoes, you can prepare the Pie Crust.
Sweet Potato aka Sweet Yams
Pie Crust:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons white sugar
½ cup of vegetable oil
2 tablespoons almond milk
Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients together in either your pie pan or in a bowl. Mix around with a fork. I used a fork first and then "massaged" with my hands and then spread the pie crust on to the pie pan.
Back to the Pie Filling:
Once the sweet potatoes are boiled and peeled, place them in a bowl with the butter and mix with a mixer. Add the rest of the Pie Filling ingredients. Continue to mix with mixer until smooth.
Sweet Potato Pie Filling
Pour the pie filling into the unbaked pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1hour. You can insert a knife, toothpick or fork into the pie to see if it comes out clean.
Enjoy!
Would love to hear your thoughts after making this dessert. Please don’t forget to leave your comments and pics.
