Sweet Potato Meets Pecan Pie In This Ultimate Fall Mini Sweet Treat

As the weather gets cooler and the holidays approach, it's officially pie season. With fall in full swing, there are plenty of fresh fruits, including tart apples and crisp pears, to choose from. In our house, there's an age-old Southern debate as to which seasonal pie reigns supreme: pecan or sweet potato. My father stands firmly with pecan, while my mother takes the opposing side with sweet potato. Why not settle the discussion by bringing the two together in a mash-up that satisfies all parties involved? Enter sweet potato-pecan pie.

Classic pecan pie is a combination of corn syrup, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla extract, and pecans, all baked in a pie crust, yielding a rich, dense interior with a crunchy, nutty topping. The humble-yet-mighty sweet potato pie, however, boasts a pie filling of sweet potato puree, sugar (both light and dark), eggs, half-and-half, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and warming spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. Sweet potato pie's end result is a smooth, creamy filling with a lighter texture than the opposing pecan pie. When the two fillings are layered together, it's the best of both worlds, bite after delicious bite. While this can be done as one whole pie, making this treat in miniature format is a crowd-pleaser that can be served hot, chilled, or even at room temperature. It's a winning combination that may actually settle the debate of which pie should hold court.

While combining two pies into one may seem daunting, we assure you it's double the pleasure, and double the fun — you just need an extra bowl to get started. This way, you can mix your sweet potato and pecan pie fillings separately (make sure to mix them using separate whisks to avoid blending flavors), later layering them to delicious effect. Next comes the fun part: Using a trusty ring mold or round cookie cutter (a drinking glass works in a pinch), cut out circles from premade pie dough and place them in the bottom of a greased mini muffin tin. Baking depends on precise measurements, so make sure your pastry rounds are uniform in size and thickness. Finally, spoon in the pie fillings and bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven until golden-brown and the fillings are set (roughly 20 minutes). Serve immediately or cool until it's party time.

You can also build upon these pie fillings. Do as many Southerners do and add a splash of bourbon — or, as Alton Brown prefers, rye whiskey — to the pecan pie filling. Brighten the sweet potato filling with fresh orange zest, or fold in some semi-sweet chocolate chips or caramel sauce for even more indulgence. You can even take a tip from Duff Goldman and swap the corn syrup for golden syrup in the pecan pie filling.