I am going to test this recipe (see "*Note" at the bottom of this post). If you have recommendations for changes before I dive into this, please share them!
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To really make these babies, I think it's a must to listen to Chef Raiford's experience of getting trained by his Nana, Miss Ofelia:
https://www.npr.org/2013/11/21/246558409/a-chef-learns-to-make-his-nanas-petite-sweet-potato-pies
As with so many truly great recipes, this one was only in Nana's mind, but Raiford presented NPR with his approximation:
Nana's Sweet Potato Pie
3 large sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted sweet butter, at room temperature
1 can evaporated milk
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
24 pre-made mini pie shells
Boil sweet potatoes in their skin until they are knife tender (knife inserted into the potato slides off easily).
Drain the water off and allow sweet potatoes to cool. Peel and discard the skin. In a medium mixing bowl, add the sweet potatoes, eggs, butter, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 1/4 cups of the sugar, and whip until incorporated.
Add evaporated milk a little at a time until the filling becomes loose. Put the mini shells inside a greased 24-count mini muffin pan. Pour the filling into the pie crusts.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Take the remaining evaporated milk, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and sugar and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Brush the mixture on top of the filling.
Place pies into the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes or until the pies are firm to the touch.
Remove pies from the oven and allow to cool slightly before eating.
Photo credit: Christopher Connelly/NPR
*Note: I modified the "mini" portion because for some inexplicable reason -- quite the contrary to the audio story! -- the recipe detailed a whole pie cooked at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. The portions of the recipe in bold are my guesstimations of what will work, but your advice is requested before I jump into this!