Sweet-Potato-Custard Pie in Orange Crust

Updated Nov. 3, 2022

Total Time
1 hour, plus 1 hour's refrigeration
Rating
4(16)
Comments
Read comments

This recipe came to The Times in 1995 in a column about the novelist and farmer Dori Sanders, who cooked it for Thanksgiving on her farm in Flibert, S.C.. It is, some say, quite the best thing to do with a sweet potato. "People tell their life stories through food," Ms. Sanders said. "They talk about how they did it then, how they do it now. The way they talk tells you who they are."

Featured in: Talking Turkey

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe
  • Print Options


Advertisement


Ingredients

Yield:One 10-inch pie

    The Crust

    • cups all-purpose flour, plus flour for sprinkling the surface
    • ½teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
    • ½cup chilled vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
    • ½teaspoon grated orange rind
    • 3 to 4tablespoons chilled orange juice
    • 1teaspoon sugar
    • Pinch of ground nutmeg

    The Filling

    • 3eggs, beaten
    • 1cup sugar
    • 2cups cooked, mashed and sieved sweet potatoes (about 2 large or 3 small sweet potatoes)
    • cup whole milk
    • cup light cream
    • ¼cup unsalted butter, melted
    • 1tablespoon fresh orange juice
    • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
    • teaspoon lemon extract
    • ½teaspoon kosher salt
    • Large pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    To make the crust, sift the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter, shortening and orange rind with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture is crumbly.

  2. Step 2

    In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of orange juice with the sugar and nutmeg. Using a fork, stir the orange-juice mixture into the flour mixture to form a soft dough, adding additional orange juice if necessary. Do not overmix. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

  3. Step 3

    On a floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to fit a 10-inch pie plate. Press the crust firmly into the plate and trim and crimp, or flute, the edges. Set aside.

  4. Step 4

    For the filling, beat the eggs, sugar and sweet potatoes together in a medium bowl. Add the milk and light cream and stir until combined. Add the melted butter, orange juice, vanilla extract, lemon extract, salt and nutmeg, if using, and mix well.

  5. Step 5

    Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake until a knife inserted into the middle of the custard comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Ratings

4 out of 5
16 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

I've held on to this recipe for 20 years and as I'm just about to pop it into the oven, realize there is no oven temperature indicated!

Dori Sanders' cookbook says 350F.
https://books.google.com/books?id=N0X8-caVTXwC&pg=PA139&lpg=PA13...

I'm not a fan of sweet potatoes, but the orange flavor is intriguing here. Do you suppose one could just as easily use pumpkin puree in place of sweet potatoes?

I've held on to this recipe for 20 years and as I'm just about to pop it into the oven, realize there is no oven temperature indicated!

Dori Sanders' cookbook says 350F.
https://books.google.com/books?id=N0X8-caVTXwC&pg=PA139&lpg=PA13...

Private comments are only visible to you.

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.