Smoked Sweet Potato and Pecan Pie with Bourbon, Maple and Bacon

[MelissaM]

I made this pie for Thanksgiving this year and it was a huge hit. Today is my first day here so I thought I would share.

 

Pecans: I candy them, sadly, I don’t measure. Essentially I chop up some pecans in a chopper unit or with a hammer or even a baseball bat and set them off to the side. Next in a saucepan I melt butter, a shot or two of bourbon and some brown sugar to taste and make a syrupy goo that I dump all over the pecans. Next I toast these bad boys in an oven at 350, on a sheet pan until light browned.

 

Generally I salt these heavily and did this batch. I would ease off on the salt a little next time.

 

Pie:

What You Will Need

Sweet Potatoes - 2.5 C mashed

Wood Chips - I like Pecan

Bourbon - 2-3 Shots

Eggs 3

3/4 C Maple (meh maybe a little less)

1C Leche minus 4TB (because of maple and Bourbon) 

Bacon Fat 2TB

Butter ?

Salt A Pinch, A Dash, however you feel comfortable measuring

Your usual seasoning : a sprinkle of ginger, a pinch of nutmeg, a wink of cinnamon

 

Let’s Do This

I started by smoking 2# of sweet potatoes for two hours. I finished them in the oven with some bacon fat, butter and 1/2 to a shot of bourbon added to help moisten/mash. I mash throughout the cooking process.

Once a mashed consistency I pull from oven and allow to cool. 

Once cooled toss in a mixing bowl, add milk, 1-2 shots of bourbon and maple and whisk it all until smooth. In a separate bowl whisk the 3 eggs and add to final mix. Toss in a pie shell and bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until firm in the center. Top with pecans. 

 

 

[Darwin]

That looks great and sounds tasty.  Sweet potato pecan pie has always been a favorite of mine.  

[MelissaM]

I make this every year. I swap maple for sugar and then bourbon for vanilla, etc. This was the first year I decided to smoke the potatoes. It was definitely a big hit. All of those flavors just work well together.