Mmmm - Sweet Potato Pie 

CRUNCHY SWEET POTATO PIE; Yield: 6 servings

• 1 1/2 lb Sweet potatoes
• 1/2 c Almond brickle bits
• 2 c Flour
• 1/2 ts Salt
• 6 T Butter, sweet; chilled
• 1/3 c Crisco; chilled
• 4 T ;Water, ice
• 1 1/2 c Half-and-half
• 4 lg Egg
• 1/4 c Dark rum
• 1/3 c Sugar, brown, dark; packed
• 1/3 c Sugar, white
• 1/4 c Butter; melted
• 1/2 ts Nutmeg, ground
• 1/8 ts Mace
• 1/3 c Almond brickle bits
• 1/4 c Almonds, sliced
• Whipping cream; (garnish)

Bake scrubbed sweet potatoes at 350 F. for about one hour or until soft. Peel and mash. This should yield 2 1/2 cups.

Put 1/2 cup brickle bits in a spice grinder or food processor and process until finely crushed. Combine with flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter and shortening until coarse crumbs form. Stir in enough ice water to make a dough. Chill 30 minutes.

Roll 2/3 of the dough into an 11" circle. Fit into a 9" pie plate and trim the edges. Use the remaining dough to form a rope edge to the crust. Line the crust with foil and weight with dried beans.

Bake about 10 minutes at 425 F., or until light golden. Remove beans and foil. Cool crust on a rack. Reset oven to 350 F.

Combine sweet potatoes with the half-and-half, eggs, rum, sugars, melted butter, nutmeg, and mace in a food processor. Process until smooth. Pour into the cooled pie crust and bake for 35 minutes.

Combine the remaining 1/3 cup candy with the sliced almonds. At the end of 35 minutes, sprinkle this mixture around the edge of the pie. Continue baking pie 20 minutes more, or until a knife tests clean.

Cool pie, then refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Let set at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with whipped cream if desired.

SWEET POTATO-PECAN PIE; Yield: 8 servings 

• 1 Recipe flaky pie pastry *

FILLING

• 2 T Butter, unsalted
• 1 c Sweet potato; cooked & mashed
• 2 Egg; slightly beaten
• 3/4 c Sugar, brown
• 1/2 ts Ginger, ground

TOPPING

• 1 pt Whipping cream
• 3 T Sugar, confectioners
• 1/2 ts Cinnamon, ground
• 1/2 ts Nutmeg, grated
• 1 ts Vanilla extract
• 1/2 ts Salt
• 1/2 c Corn syrup, dark
• 1 c Evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 c Pecans; coarsely chopped
• 1/4 c Praline liqueur *OR* Pecan halves; soaked in Frangelico

TO PREPARE PASTRY: Preheat oven to 375F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled pastry into a 1/16-inch-thick circle.

Gently roll pastry around the rolling pin; unroll into a 9-inch pie pan. Gently ease pastry into bottom of pan; pat against side. Do not stretch pastry. Trim off and discard excess pastry. Flute edges, if desired, Refrigerate until ready to bake.

TO PREPARE FILLING: In a large bowl, stir butter into sweet potatoes. Add all remaining ingredients except pecans; blend well.

TO ASSEMBLE PIE: Pour sweet-potato filling into prepared pie crust; sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over top. Bake in preheated oven until filling is set and a knife inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack to room temperature before slicing. Prepare topping. To serve, top with topping. Top with pecan halves. Makes 8 servings.

TO PREPARE TOPPING: Combine cream, powdered sugar and liqueur in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until large, soft peaks form. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.