For some reason pie crusts are unpredictable. Sometimes you can make them and the entire process goes smoothly and the finished product is fantastic, and other days you do the same exact things and it will not roll out without cracking into a million pieces. For these reason, today’s recipe comes with no guarantee, and a few warnings. But to start off here is a quote from my mother, “This is THE BEST pie crust I have EVER tasted!!” This apple pie is way better than any I have ever purchased!” (or something like that) Now this might not be such a big deal because many Mothers would compliment their daughter and talk up how great they are (even when something tastes like mud) But my Mother tells me how it really is. In fact, most of the time she hates my HEALTHY cooking. She does not like whole wheat anything (which is funny because this pie crust is 100% whole grains) and many times she will have a peanut butter sandwich instead of trying the weird dinner I have made. So her comment actually, might have been a miracle!

Here are my warnings  tips on making a great pie crust.

1. Make one recipe at a time, even if you need more than crust. (anytime I have done multiple at once, I have had problems! Maybe you might not?)
2. Use COLD butter, right out of the fridge.
3. Cut up the butter into dice size (or smaller) peices before adding to the mix.
4. Make sure you add enough water so that the dough will not crack or crumble. (This is a BIG one!)
5. If something goes wrong, don’t stress! Throw your dough at someone, and try again! (have enough ingredients available incase you need a do over!)
6. Have fun!

My slightly cracked but very tasty pie crust.

Whole Wheat & Spelt (Spiced) Pie Crust

1. Mix flour, salt, and pumpkin pie spice throughly. 
2. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter, or to forks until dough is pea-sized bits. Don’t over mix.
3. Mix in just enough water to form dough.
4. Shape into ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes (or I have used right way and turned out fine.)

For Baked Shell: Preheat oven to 425°. Roll half of dough into circle about 1/8 inch thick and place in pie pan. Prick all sides and bottom with fork. Press a square of foil into bottom and sides. Bake for 6 minutes, remove foil, and bake 8-10 minutes more until lightly brown, dry, and crisp.  Cool before filling.

As I watch my now 6 month old son, we’ll call him Little Roo, I am repeatedly amazed by his attention to detail. He is so curious and wants to experience everything around him, but instead of looking at the big picture of millions of things in his surroundings, he chooses to stop and examine the tag on his toy, the string on his pants, the small bit of paper coming loose from his book. He will sit for minutes on end throughly exploring each object with all of his senses.  He will feel it with his fingetips, grab it, shake it, scratch at it, and most times taste it. Sometimes he will just sit there and look at it from every angle possible. You can tell by his patient and thoughtful appreciation that he is truely grateful. It is so great for me to be able to learn true gratitude from my little son. I know he will continue to teach me vaulable lessons throughout our lives together!

In essence of appreciation for the little things, today’s recipe is for homemade pumpkin pie spice. Yes, you can easily go to the store and pick up one of the numerous available spice mixes, but this one is far above and beyond the rest. It is so easy to mix together, and you can adjust it to suit your families’ tastes.

On another Happy note, today is my mother-in-law’s birthday! Happy Birthday L!! So today, I picked my recipe for her. This recipe is my husband’s favorite, it is pretty southern, and even though it is sweet it is still rather good for you!   In fact sweet potatoes are AMAZINGLY healthy!

According to nutitiondata.com, 200 g (a little under half a pound, the size of a small baked sweet potato) is a great source of fiber (6.6g!) , vitamin B6, Potassium(950mg more than a CUP of raw bananas!),  Vitamin A (38343 IU, 769% DV!!), Vitamin C and Manganese. In fact, In 1992, the Center for Science in the Public Interest compared the nutritional value of sweet potatoes to other vegetables and the sweet potato ranked highest in nutritional value! It is strongly anti-inflammatory, has a low glycemic load, and Despite the name “sweet”, it may be a beneficial food for diabetics, as preliminary studies on animals have revealed that it helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and to lower insulin resistance!! Since finding out the great news on their nutrition data, I have been eating a few a week! I love sweet potatoes!! They are great for me, and help quiet my sugary sweet cravings.

Now, on to the recipe. You may still be asking, “Why sweet potato?” I had once asked the same thing. I have always been a huge fan of pumpkin, and thought that it just couldn’t get better than that, and then along came the sweet potato pie! I have never attempted to cook a fresh pumpkin, so I have always used canned. Have you ever tried plain pumpkin out of the can? It’s horrible! It is bitter and bland and tastes like an old shoe. But somehow when you combine it with a variety of spices, vanilla, and cream you get something pretty great. Imagine if you used the same idea with something fresh, sweet, and tasty! THAT is the sweet potato pie! Sweet potatoes are incredibly easy to bake, and the flavor is so superior, I now ask myself, “Why did I ever mess with pumpkin?” Now, this is coming from someone who has never had a pumpkin pie made from freshly baked pumpkin, maybe someday, huh? Don’t get me wrong pumpkin still has a place in my heart for pancakes, muffins, breads and cookies!

The filling for this recipe was inspired by a Sweet Potato Pecan Pie recipe Scott brought home that he had copied out of a cookbook he had found at the library, (the bottom of the copy says ”New Southern Baking“  To see the book that I assume it came from click the link) Although the original recipe is fabulous, I have been playing with this recipe to suit our family for years. When I make it for Scott, which is 99% of the time, I skip the pecan filling part all together (due to his allergies). I have modified it to use natural sugars and lowered the sugar content all together. I also pair it up with my Whole Wheat Spelt Pie Crust recipe. Here is the most recent draft of my recipe:

Sweet Potato (Pecan) Pie

 1/2 recipe Whole Wheat Spelt Pie Crust

 Sweet Potato Filling:

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 large sweet potatoes)

2 T butter

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup sweetener (I use 1/4 c agave nectar and 1/4 c sucanat  sugar)*

1 packet stevia

1/2 t salt

whole nutmeg in a grater

1 t Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 T bourbon (or 1-2 t. Mexican Vanilla)

1/2 c half and half (or full fat coconut milk)

 Optional Pecan Topping:

1 egg

1/4 sweetener (I use agave or sucanat)

salt

3 T butter, melted

1 T bourbon

1 1/4 cup broken pecan pieces

*You may use any sweetener you like. I prefer agave nectar because if it’s low glycemic index and excellent flavor. I added the sucanat last time for the brown sugar-like taste as an indulgence.  Sucant is a source of iron and potassium because it is not seperated like regular brown sugar.

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Scrub the sweet potatoes under cool running water. Use a fork to pierce the potatoes a few times, rub lightly with butter (you can skip this, I usually do) and place them on a baking sheet. Bake the potatoes until they are soft, about 1 hour. Set them aside until they are cool enough to handle, but still warm.

2. Prepare the pie crust by rolling out the dough and lining a pie pan. Use a fork to prick the bottom well. 

3. Peel the warm sweet potatoes (you can just remove the skins with your hands very easily). Place the potatoes in a glass or stainless steel mixing bowl and mash them well with a fork or potatoe masher. Add the butter and stir until it is melted and absorbed. Stir in sweeteners, salt, a generous grating of nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and cream. At this point you may taste it to test the sweetness level and adjust to your liking. Then add the eggs and the bourbon. Beat until mixture is smooth.

4. If not using the pecan topping skip to step 5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, sweetener, a small pinch of salt, the melted butter and bourbon. Stir in the pecans.

5. Pour the sweet potato pie filling into the pie crust and smooth with a spatula. Then spoon the pecan topping over the sweet potatoes, being careful to spread it evenly without mixing it into the sweet potatoes.

6. Bake pie in the center of the oven for 15 minutes at 475° if using the pecan topping. Reduce heat to 375° until the filling is set, about 30-35 minutes longer, or 45 minutes total at 375° if not using the pecan topping.  A knife or toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean when pie is done. Cool and enjoy!

 

As always, feel free to alter the recipe to your own needs and wants, leave a comment to let us know how it goes! If posting, a link back and would be appreciated.

Spiced Cocoa
2 cups milk (I prefer a combination of Almond and Whole)
1-3 T. cocoa powder (depending on how dark and rich you would like it)
2 T. Agave Nectar
1 packet stevia
1 t. Mexican Vanilla
sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice

In a sauce pan, over med heat, Combine 1/2 cup of milk with cocoa powder. Stir in the rest of ingredients, heat to your liking and Enjoy!