If you’re someone who follows my blog then you already know that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. But can you guess what part of the meal I love the most? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not the turkey. In fact, for me, and most of my family, the turkey is an afterthought. It’s the appetizers and sides that rule the show at our house.
My daughter Samantha and son-in-law, Ryan moved into a beautiful house in Atlanta (welp) last December. This year, after thirty two years, I will be passing the Thanksgiving torch over to them which means that they will be hosting this holiday. Although it’s a little odd not having to plan Thanksgiving after doing it for as long as I have, I’m very excited to spend time with them in their new home and I look forward to seeing what new traditions they will create to help put their own spin on the holiday.
The first thing that Samantha mentioned to me was that there would be no turkey. No turkey? Who has Thanksgiving without a turkey? I understand that there are folks who stick to strict vegan or vegetarian diets so not having a turkey under those circumstances would make perfect sense. But we’re full blooded carnivores. Before further confusion crept into my brain, Samantha explained that because they live in the south, they would like to have barbecue instead. Good old fashioned, finger licking southern barbecue. “No one even likes the turkey”, she went on to explain, “it’s all about the sides”.
What a great idea! Keep the traditional sides but replace the turkey with something that the whole family loves and introduce a southern classic into the mix to pay homage to their new home all at the same time. Talk about putting their own touch on the holiday. She then rattled off a bunch of sides that they plan on serving including stuffing, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese (she and Ryan have been testing out various recipes for months) and my sweet potato torte.
Sweet potatoes flavored with honey, maple syrup, orange zest and nutmeg then baked in a perfectly flaky pastry crust (that can be made a day in advance) this is the dish that has been a staple of our Thanksgiving dinner for years. Not exactly a cake, nor a pie, but something more akin to a lightly set, not too sweet custard. It may sound like dessert, it may taste like dessert , it may even look like dessert but when I first found this recipe in an old copy of Bon Apetite, it was described as a side dish. Whatever it might be (my family generally refers to it as the sweet potato thing), this is without a doubt, my favorite Thanksgiving dish.
Needless to say, I have Jennifered this recipe, adding orange zest which adds depth of flavor and modifying the methodology a bit to pat out the crust (which always seems to tear) rather than rolling it out. And, because we’re shaking traditions up a bit this year, I decided to top this magical creation off with toasted marshmallows. Of course, the marshmallows are optional but, let’s be honest, why would you want to skip this step.
I’m also happy to report that I have fully baked this torte a day in advance and it stores beautifully in the refrigerator resulting in another easy make-ahead dish.
The end result is easier and more delicious than ever before and even those who don’t like sweet potatoes, have been known to indulge in this treat at my table. Still hesitant about serving this recipe as a side dish? Set it out on your table along with the rest of the sides and keep it out throughout dessert so you can cover both courses. That is, if it lasts that long. Do I need to say more?
I hope that you’ll give this Sweet Potato Torte recipe a whirl. If you do, please let me know what you think or tag me on Instagram. I always love hearing from everyone and seeing pictures of anything that you make. And above all, thank you so much for stopping by.
Sweet Potato Torte
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbs sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¾ cup solid vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 tbs ice water
- 2 tbs light olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1½ tsp distilled white vinegar
Filling
- 2¼ pounds medium-sized red-skinned sweet potatoes
- 2 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup sugar
- 6 tbs unsalted butter, melted
- grated zest of one orange
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbs pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¾ tsp vanilla extract
- large marshmallows for topping (optional)
Instructions
Crust
- Combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add shortening and using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons ice water, oil, egg and vinegar. Add the oil mixture to the bowl of the food processor and blend using on/off turns until dough comes together in moist clumps. If the dough seems too dry, you may add more ice water one teaspoon at a time.
- Gather the dough into a ball then flatten it into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill at least 1 hour or overnight.
Filling
- Pierce sweet potatoes all over with a fork and microwave until tender (about 12 minutes) turning once. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly then split them open and scoop the flesh out into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mash until smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients to same bowl and, using the stand mixer with a paddle attachment blend until smooth. (Can be made one day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator).
- Preheat oven to 375 °F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and, using your fingers pat it out evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch round springform pan to within ¾ inch of the top edge.
- Add the filling. Place the pan on a sheet pan and bake until filling is set and beginning to brown at the edges (about 1½ hours). Transfer torte to a rack and allow it to cool to room temperature. Remove pan sides, top with marshmallows (if using) and, using a kitchen torch, gently toast them. *See note