Holiday Pies- Healthy and Delicious Recipes!

Sweet Potato and Pecan Pies 

Gluten Free Pie Crust
Ingredients

•  4 cups gluten-free flour (Namaste) 
• 2 sticks of butter or Melted coconut oil
• 1/4  pinch sea salt
• 1 tbsp of  sugar or coconut crystals
• 1 egg
• 1-2 tbsp of cold water, as needed 

Instructions
1. Mix flour, sea salt, and sugar in a food processor or kitchen aid and pulse (or mix with a fork).
2. Drizzle the butter or coconut over the flour mixture and, using your fingers, work it into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow cornmeal. (If the mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.)
3. Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle a tablespoon or more of cold water over the mixture.
4. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Divide into 2 equal parts. Wrap with plastic and put in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
5. Roll the dough out on parchment paper until over 12 inches  fold over edges of your pie pan.
6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
7. Put a piece of parchment paper or foil over the pie shell and fill with dried beans, uncooked rice, or pie weights. Bake on a baking sheet on the center rack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and lift sides of the parchment paper to remove the weights. Continue baking until the pie shell is lightly golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.  You can wrap the edges with foil.

Sweet Potato Filling
Ingredients

• 5 cups baked small yams (baked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes scrubbed and I removed peel after cooked and 
• 1/2 cup butter ghee instead
• 1 cup of 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 (9-inch) pie crust 

Instructions
1. Bake 5 cups of sweet potatoes.
2. Make the crust while potatoes are cooking.
3. Make the pie filling. The smaller yams are so much sweeter cut sugar in half. Add butter to the sweet potatoes and mash until smooth. (used my kitchen aid). Add the sugar to the sweet potatoes and mix until well combined. Add the vanilla extract, milk, and the eggs. Mix until well combined. Pour into the unbaked pie crust. 
4. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F and bake the pie until the center of the pie is set, about 1 hour. Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool slightly. 

Optional Topping
Homemade whipped cream- Calories per serving is 118
Ingredients 

• 1 pint/2 cups heavy whipping cream (COLD) 
• ½ cup power sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla

Pecan Pie Filling
Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter you can use coconut oil too.
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of pitted dates
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (I used regular)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 cups chopped toasted pecans
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions
1. Make the crust. 
2. While the crust is baking, make the filling: In medium saucepan, combine the coconut oil, dates, brown sugar, corn syrup, coconut milk, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and stirring constantly, continue to boil for 1 minute.
3.Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts and vanilla. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. (If the crust has cooled, return it to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.) 4. Whisk the beaten eggs into the filling until smooth.
5. Put the pie shell on a sheet pan and pour the filling into the hot crust.
6. Bake on the lower oven rack for 40-45 minutes, until the edges are set but the center is still slightly loose. If the edges get very dark, cover them with aluminum foil half way during baking.