Sweet Potato Pie Accents

OK, so chances are you you know how to make your sweet potato pie filling with your eyes closed by now. But even if you're making the pie for the first time this Thanksgiving, you can impress all your guests with these scrumptious toppings that are sure to get lots of oohs and aahs:)

Candied Nuts

Mix butter, vanilla and hazelnut extracts, brown sugar, powdered sugar, a bit of heavy whipping cream (or the soy alternative), butterscotch, and cinnamon together in a small saucepan. Fold in pieces of your favorite nuts; pecans taste great with sweet potato pie, put almonds or macadamia nuts are a tasty addition as well.

Caramel Topping

Molasses (or dark Karo syrup), along with brown sugar and heavy whipping cream are the main ingredients of a caramel topping; melt these items in a small pot on the stove until the consistency is thick and gooey. Add a few morsels of unsweetened chocolate and butter for a savory taste. You can pour this topping over your sweet potato pie, or swirl it into the filling when the pie is halfway done baking.

Coconut Topping

A slightly sweet but flavorful addition to your sweet potato pie is coconut. To thicken the topping, add a little rice flower to shredded, sweetened coconut, along with a pinch of sea salt, fresh cinnamon, and melted butter. The topping is crumbly, and makes for a great contrast of texture against the smooth pie filling.

*You can also sprinkle some coconut flakes or teaspoons of fresh nutmeg into the pie crust for an extra burst of flavor--Enjoy! ;)