Are you a marshmallow topping kind of person or do you prefer perfectly placed pecans? In any other context this question would be rather odd, but when it comes to Sweet Potato Pie, anything goes! A staple in Southern cuisine, this classic pie is often overlooked by its equally orange counterpart, the pumpkin pie, except during Thanksgiving when all pies are happily accepted after a long feast of turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. But this year you might be saying "Move over, pumpkin pie!" and hello to the sweet potato pie because Sweet Potato Pie Bars are here to win over hearts and minds of pie-loving people everywhere.

We might be a little biased because we love any dessert in a bar-form, from cheesecake bars to brownies or blondies. But this recipe is especially amazing because it really gives you all the autumn feels that a sweet potato pie provides this time of year. Plus it's like a slice of pie that you can hold in your hand, kind of like our Chocolate Pumpkin Pie soft-baked biscotti, which we used as the crust of these bars. On top of the crust is the sweet potato layer, mixed with fall spices like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Finally, these bars are topped with fluffy clouds of marshmallow, carefully burnt to perfection. So, have we convinced you enough to let pumpkin take a back seat this year, and give sweet potato pie a chance??

Sweet Potato Pie Bars

Crust:

2 x 5oz boxes Chocolate Pumpkin Pie soft-baked biscotti

¼ cup granulated sugar

12 tablespoons salted butter, melted

Filling:

2 cups (16 ounces) sweet potato puree, from roasted sweet potatoes, peeled, or canned

¼ cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon bourbon (or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground clove

1 ½ cups whole milk

½ cup heavy cream

Topping:

2 large egg whites

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ cup dark or light corn syrup

¼ cup water

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with foil. Break Chocolate Pumpkin Pie biscotti in bite sized pieces and place in a food processor with the sugar. Pulse until finely ground and there are no large chunks. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture is moistened, like gravel. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan with fingertips. Bake for 10 minutes then move to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Keep oven on at 350 degrees. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer or stand mixer to beat all the sweet potato filling ingredients until well combined. Pour over the biscotti crust and bake for 45 minutes, or until set but still slightly wiggly in the middle. Let cool to room temperature. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan set over medium high heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt. Bring to a boil and continue to cook until a candy thermometer registers exactly 240 degrees. Immediately remove from heat. With the electric mixer on low speed, carefully & gradually drizzle the syrup into the egg whites. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until the mixture is thick and glossy and looks like marshmallow fluff, about 7 minutes longer. Add in the vanilla and whisk until combined. Spread the marshmallow topping evenly over the cooled sweet potato layer. Use a kitchen torch to gently torch the marshmallow layer until lightly golden. Alternatively, place the pan under the broiler for 1 minute or until lightly golden. Keep careful watch, the broiler can go from toasted to burnt very quickly. Refrigerate the pan for at least 3 hours before cutting into squares and serving.

Enjoy!