The Sweet Potato Cheesecake saga

After making a cheesecake for the Thanksgiving potluck, I had enough extra batter left for a pie, so i bought a graham cracker pie crust and baked up a a pie. I asked Brett if his neighbor, Lorena, would like to have it. He asked and said she would love to have it, as she loves sweet potato pie and is a cheesecake junkie. Last Wednesday, I knocked on her door, and her boyfriend, Tony, answered. I chatted with Tony for a couple minutes and he asked what was that, referring to the pie. I told him what it was, and Tony, normally a reserved fellow, came the closest to smiling I have ever seen him come. He eyed that pie like it was the last pie on Earth. Since Lorena was napping with the baby, he took it, and it was clear that he would be digging into it right away.

I went to Drew's Thanksgiving feast Thursday, and after everyone had dug in and packed up their share of the leftovers, there was still about 1/3 of the cheesecake left (it was a big cheesecake). So I brought the remains home and they are sitting in the fridge.

On Saturday, I finally see Lorena and asked her how she liked it. She loved it, but, it seems, Tony loved it more. There was one piece left on Friday. Instead of cutting it in half and saving the last bit for her, he wolfed it down. She saw him wolf it down and was pissed. Between herself, her daughters, and Tony, she had only eaten one piece. She was mad. She loved that cheesecake and didn't get enough to properly feed her addiction. I told her that there was still some of the big cheesecake leftover from Thanksgiving and that I would bring her a slice next time I was by. She obviously wants me to give this to her out of sight of Tony.

So, knowing that sweet potato cheesecake is something that people like, I will be making it again, probably for Christmas. And there will definitely be another one for Lorena.

Sweet Potato Cheesecake recipe

Four 8 oz. packages of cream cheese
4 medium-large sweet potatoes, baked, peeled and pureed. You want sweet potatoes that are a rich orange color.
1.5 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup of sour cream
3 tablespoons of flour
1 teaspoon of real vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Graham cracker crust, either homemade or store bought

Graham cracker crust: If you simply must make your own, finely crush enough graham crackers to fill 2 cups. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter (yes, that is almost an entire stick. To hell with your diet!). You could add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar to that, but it's not strictly necessary. You could also add a little cinnamon or nutmeg. Mix all that together in a bowl, then press into a springform pan. Chill for an hour, then bake in 350° preheated oven for 10 minutes. Butter the sides of the pan once it's cooled.

Cheesecake: An electric mixer is a must. Preheat oven to 450°. Put cream cheese in bowl and beat until smooth. Mix in sugar. Mix in eggs and yolks one at a time. Add flour, spices and sour cream. Slowly mix in sweet potato puree. Beat until smooth. Pour into crust lined pan.

Place a shallow pan of water on the lower rack, then place the cheesecake pan in. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes, then lower temp to 250° and bake for another 1.5 - 2 hours, or until the cake center is firm. Refrigerate until completely chilled.

To add to the Southern appeal, top with candied pecans.

Simple candied pecans: Slowly melt one cup of sugar. Stir in pecans until fully coated. Pour onto buttered baking pan, separate pieces and let cool. Arrange artfully on cheesecake.