Oh Amy, lookie here, girl!
ATLANTA J-C
Sweet Auburn Bread Co.'s Sweet Potato Cheesecake 12 servings
Hands on: 30 minutes
Total time: 5 hours (includes cooling and chilling)
Sonya Jones, a member of our Saving Southern Food chefs panel and chef-owner of Sweet Auburn Bread Co. (see accessAtlanta.com for more about this bakery), shared with us the recipe that then-President Bill Clinton raved about during a visit to Atlanta in 1999. Or, we should say, one version of it; Jones admits to changing the recipe now and then. This one is baked in a springform pan to make it easier to remove, even though Jones uses regular cake pans. Take your pick.
6 or 7 slices of poundcake, 1/4 inch thick
2 (8-ounce packages) cream cheese
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup cooked and pureed sweet potato
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch round springform pan. Line bottom of pan with poundcake slices, pressing firmly to cover bottom.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.
Gradually add sugar, blending well. Stir in the cream and sweet potato. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add nutmeg and cinnamon and mix with a hand-held mixer for 2 to 3 minutes on low.
Stir in the vanilla. Pour batter into cake-lined pan.
Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until center is almost set. Remove from oven and cool for about 45 minutes. When cool, remove from pan and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.
Per serving: 376 calories (percent of calories from fat, 57), 5 grams protein, 36 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 24 grams fat (15 grams saturated), 133 milligrams cholesterol, 189 milligrams sodium.
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Mockingbird Bakery's Sweet Tea Pie With Lemon 8-10 servings
Hands on: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, plus several hours to cool
What could be more Southern than a chess pie made with tea? The top of the pie will darken during baking; don't be alarmed. Pat the dough in evenly and in a thin layer for more even browning, building up a top crust to hold the filling and discarding excess. Don't overfill the pie, and if in doubt, place a tray underneath it during baking to catch any spills.
For the crust:
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
For the filling:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
8 egg yolks
3/4 cup warm, strong orange pekoe tea (standard tea bags)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornmeal
To prepare the crust: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until well-combined. Add flour and mix at low speed until dough forms a ball. Pat dough evenly and thinly into a 9-inch pie pan, building up a thicker top edge. Place pie shell in freezer while preparing filling.
To prepare the filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
With an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar. Add lemon zest and egg yolks a little at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate, scraping the bowl often. Slowly add the tea, vanilla, vinegar and lemon juice. Add flour and cornmeal. Don't be alarmed if the mixture looks slightly curdled. Scrape the bowl and mix to combine.
Remove crust from the freezer and fill. Bake for 50 minutes, or until just a quarter-size area in the center jiggles slightly. Cool on a wire rack. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.
Per serving (based on 8): 682 calories (percent of calories from fat, 57), 6 grams protein, 68 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 44 grams fat (25 grams saturated), 317 milligrams cholesterol, 275 milligrams sodium.
der Brucer
