FOOD NEWS
Cream Cheese Will Turn Your Sweet Potato Pie Into A New Fall Favorite
BY TOM MAXWELL
Traditionally, a sweet potato pie uses sweet potatoes, butter, sugar, eggs, milk or cream, nutmeg, and little else. Still, it's ripe for playing around with secret ingredients.
Adding cream cheese to your next sweet potato pie will elevate its taste and texture, brightening the flavor and adding a light airiness without making the recipe too complicated.
The slight tang of cream cheese offsets the sweetness of the potatoes and brown sugar. The cheese also puffs up as it bakes, ensuring that your pie won't be overly heavy.
To make the pie filling, blend eight ounces of softened cream cheese until smooth, then add a cup of mashed sweet potatoes and sugar to the bowl and continue blending.
Next, add the dry ingredients like flour, spices, and salt, then beaten eggs and vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into your prepared pie crust (we suggest a graham cracker crust).
Bake for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit; the pie will be done even if the center jiggles a little. Let it cool on a rack and refrigerate overnight before serving.