Ingredients

• 1  pound sweet potatoes or one 17-ounce can sweet potatoes, drained
• 1/2  cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4  cup butter, melted
• 1  tablespoon finely shredded orange peel
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2  teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4  teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3  slightly beaten eggs
• 1  cup half-and-half or light cream
• 1  recipe Cornmeal Pastry
• 1  recipe Pecan Streusel Topping

Directions

1. If using fresh sweet potatoes, peel potatoes. Cut off woody portions and ends; discard. Cut sweet potatoes into quarters. In a covered large saucepan, cook sweet potatoes in enough boiling, salted water to cover for 25 to 35 minutes or until tender; drain.

2. In a medium bowl, mash drained fresh or canned sweet potatoes (you should have 1-1/2 cups). Reserve any remaining sweet potatoes for another use. Stir in brown sugar, butter, orange peel, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Whisk in eggs and half-and-half.

3. Place Cornmeal Pastry shell on oven rack; pour in filling. Cover edge of pie with foil. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes.

4. Remove foil. Sprinkle with Pecan Streusel Topping. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes more or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes. Chill at least 2 hours before serving; cover for longer storage. Makes 8 servings.

Make-Ahead Tip: Refrigerate prepared cornmeal pastry and pecan streusel topping, covered, up to 3 days.

Cornmeal Pastry: In a medium bowl, stir together 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/3 cup shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Repeat moistening dough, using 1 tablespoon cold water at a time until all the dough is moistened (3 to 5 tablespoons cold water total). Form into a ball.

On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten dough. Roll dough from center to edge into a 12-inch circle. To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin. Unroll pastry into a 9-inch pie plate; ease pasty into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate. Fold under extra pastry; crimp edge high. Do not prick.

Pecan Streusel Topping: In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2 tablespoons butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/2 cup toasted, coarsely chopped pecans.