Perp: 20 mins | Bake: 1 hour + cooling | Yield: 10 servings (1 2/3 cups sauce)

Ingredients:

Pastry for 1 single-crust pie (9″)

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided

1 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp ground cinnamon

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp maple flavoring

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Sauce

1/2 cup butter, cubed

1//2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tsp maple flavoring

1/4 cup sour cream

Instructions:

  1. Line a 9″ deep-dish pie plate with pastry; trim and flute edges. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, pecans and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly into pastry shell. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sweet potatoes, buttermilk, butter, syrup, maple flavoring, cloves and remaining sugar. Pour over pecan layer.
  3. Bake at 350°F for 60-70 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent over-browning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack.
  4. For sauce, in a small heavy skillet, melt butter. Add pecans; cook over medium heat until toasted, about 4 minutes. Add the sugar, syrup and maple flavoring; cook and stir for 2-4 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream. Serve with pie.