2 Delicious Southern Holiday Pie Recipes: Pecan and Sweet Potato

Home baked pies are terrific treats any time of the year. For many families, baking pies is a holiday tradition. In the south, sweet potatoes and pecans are plentiful, and baking with them is considered an art form. Try adding one of these traditional Southern style homemade holiday pie recipes to your menu this year, and everyone in your family will thank you!

Southern Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 11/2 cups of dark Karo syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup of pecans, broken into pieces of varying sizes
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 frozen pie crust

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the flour and sugar, and mix until the combination becomes fluffy. Add the Karo syrup and beat well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each one. Mix in the salt, pecans, and vanilla. Pour mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 50 minutes. Allow to set for at least an hour before serving. Tastes great warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Refrigerate leftovers, if you have any.

Serving suggestion: Garnish with shredded coconut. Serve with hot chocolate, coffee, or another delicious warm holiday beverage.

Southern Sweet Potato Custard Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs, well beaten
• 1 cup brown sugar
• Juice from one lemon
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 frozen pie crust

Directions:

(Note: this recipe is a great way to use up left over sweet potatoes, but if you don't have any cooked sweet potatoes on hand to mash, simply boil, bake, or microwave them in preparation for making this tasty pie.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter. In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs. Once the eggs are well beaten, pour the butter and all remaining ingredients into the bowl with them and mix well. Pour into unbaked frozen pie crust. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to sit for at least ten minutes before cutting. This traditional southern pie tastes great warm, hot, or chilled. Refrigerated any leftovers.

Variation: Instead of using fresh mashed sweet potatoes, you can use canned candied yams to prepare this recipe. Simply drain and mash 2 cups worth of canned yams. Reduce brown sugar to 3/4 of a cup because canned candied yams are pre-sweetened.

Serving suggestion: Top with whipped cream sprinkled with a little bit of cinnamon, and serve with a delicious cup of festive spiced hot tea.