Pareve Sweet Potato Pie

In Friday’s paper, there were a number of letters from schoolchildren to Barack Obama. While I was touched by the writer who wanted to “help all nations, even Hawaii,” the letter that particularly grabbed my attention was this one:

Dear Barack Obama,

You look too skinny.

You should eat more food.

This is what you should eat:

1. pizza
2. ice cream
3. butter popcorn
4. cupcakes
5. hamburgers
6. French fries
7. hot dogs
8. hot chocolate
9. cookies
10. cotton candy

from,

Jayme

The reason Jayme’s letter grabbed me is that except for the hamburgers and hot dogs, the text is exactly, but exactly, identical to the letter I sent President Obama myself, or would have, if only I got around to it.

I will add only my new recipe for sweet potato pie. I just cannot stop making these pies. Here’s the dairy-free version. In good health, America.

Pareve Sweet Potato Pie

Pareve Pecan Crust

½ cup rolled oats

1 ½ cups pecans

1 cup (5 ounces) whole wheat pastry flour

½ cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 tablespoons apple cider

If you will also be making a pecan pie, or might make one at some point, select the perfect gorgeous pecan halves for that. For this recipe you can use the broken pecan or imperfect pecan pieces.

Heat the oven to 350 F. Place the oats on one baking sheet and the pecans on another and toast the oats for about fifteen minutes, and the pecans for about twenty minutes. Allow to cool.

In a processor, buzz the oats to a fine meal. Add the pecans and pulse, and then add the sugar and flour and process to a fine powder. Add the coconut oil and pulse to combine. With the machine running, drizzle in the apple cider until the crust comes together. Press the dough into two eight-inch tart pans or one nine-inch pie pan. Use the leftover bits to make little tartlets (the best part). Return to the oven and bake for twenty minutes or until lightly browned. Raise oven temperature to 400.

Pareve Sweet Potato Pie Filling

4 medium sweet potatoes (to yield about 2 cups baked, mashed sweet potatoes)

4 eggs

8 ounces (1 cup) brown sugar (darker is nicer)

12 ounces (1 can) coconut milk

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Bake the sweet potatoes until quite soft—about an hour depending what else you have in the oven. Peel the potatoes when they are cool enough to handle. You can do this with your fingers, and it is one of the many great pleasures associated with this pie. Combine all the filling ingredients in the processor and process until quite smooth. Pour the filling into the tart or pie pans and bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 and bake until set—another 15 minutes for the tarts, or about 25 minutes for the pie.

I'll make you pie, baby!