If I Was A Sweet Potato...

This is how I'd like to end up:

Sweet Potato Pie With Three-Nut Topping

From Bon Appetit magazine, November 1992

Crust

1/3 cup walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted
1/3 cup almonds, toasted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup fimly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
5 tb unsalted butter, melted

Filling

18 ounces sweet potatoes
3 large eggs
3 tb butter
1/2 firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tb honey
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup whipping cream

Topping

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tb honey
1/3 cup whole almonds, toasted
1/3 cup whole hazelnuts, toasted
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted

For the crust: coarsely grind all nuts in processor. Blend in graham cracker crumbs, sugar and pumpkin pie spice. And butter and blend, using on/off turns until moist crumbs form. Press crumbs onto bottom and sides of 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate. Set aside.

For filling: Preheat oven to 350. Bake sweet potatoes until tender, about 1 hour. Cool potatoes and peel. Puree in processor. Transfer to bowl and whisk in eggs. Cook butter in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat until brown. Add sugar, honey and pumpkin pie spice and boil one minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in cream. Add butter mixture to potato puree and blend until smooth.

Pour filling into crust. Bake until center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 40 minutes. Cover with foil if crust is browning too quickly.

Meanwhile, prepare topping: Stir first three ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over low heat, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil one minute. Mix in whole nuts, coating completely.

Spoon hot mixture over pie. Continue baking until topping bubbles, about 5 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely.

Serves 8

This was our dessert on Thanksgiving. No hazelnuts in the house (and I'd served some hard time shelling all those hazelnuts for those Nutella brownies...not again!), so I substituted pecans. This is pretty rich and filling, so I only make it every couple years.

The rest of the menu:

Rosemary Cornish Game Hens
Cornbread Wild Rice Chestnut Stuffing
Orange-Honey Glazed Brussels Sprouts and Carrots
Cranberry-Orange Relish

I was responsible for the stuffing and the dessert and the veggies. Tim handled the relish and the birds and the final cooking. We had a delightful meal, with me in my favorite dining attire (my bathrobe). Then, sadly, I had to leave for work.

I will have Christmas Day off. So that means no trying to work while all sleepy and sated from a heavy meal. And I will have real clothes on.