What is a Sonker?
There are many opinions and much debate about sonkers! Is it a pie or cobbler just called by another name? Maybe, but sonkers have a few characteristics that make them unique from other fruit pies.
For the pie filling, mix all the dry ingredients together. 
Whisk the dry ingredients to break up any lumps. 
To the dry ingredients add the potato water, butter, and vanilla and pour over the sweet potatoes.
You can use fruits in sonkers, but sweet potatoes seem to be what many would argue is the quintessential filling for sonkers. The potatoes are peeled and then boiled whole until they are fork-tender. Then they are sliced and placed into a crust.
Boil peeled sweet potatoes whole and then slice them. 
Even though lattice crusts are traditional for sonkers, use any type of top crust you would like.
Sonkers usually are made in a deep square or rectangular pan. They are known for being juicy, so the pan needs to be deep enough to hold all the juice! Another characteristic of a sweet potato sonker? The pie filling uses the water from the boiled sweet potatoes. Be sure to dip the cooked potatoes from the water rather than draining the water.
Many times lattice crusts top a sonker. For a different twist, I used a leaf cookie cutter to make the top crust for this sonker. Feel free to use your favorite type of top crust on your sonker.
What is Milk Dip?
Sonkers have a reputation for being juicy pies, and there is a sauce that helps them achieve their juicy status. It is known as milk dip.
Milk dip is a white sauce usually made from milk or cream, sugar, a thickener, and vanilla. It is heated on top of the stove while the sonker bakes. Then the sonker is removed from the oven just before it finishes baking. Half of the milk dip is poured over the pie. Then the pie is placed back into the oven to finish baking.
Serve this sonker warm out of the oven and pour additional milk dip over the servings. Or place a little into a small bowl and dip right into the warm dip, hence the name milk dip.
Even though there is a lot of disagreement on how cooks make sonkers, there is agreement on its origin. It is from one area in western North Carolina–Surry County. People there are famous for their sonkers. Traditionally, recipes pass down orally to new generations, while some recipes appear in family and community cookbooks. Surry County even has a Sonker Festival that follows a sonker trail with different sonker tastings available along the way. I hope you enjoy this sonker recipe!
| Prep Time | 1 hour |
| Cook Time | 40 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 pie crusts
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup potato water
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 x 8-inch pie dish
- cooking spray
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons butter
Ingredients
Pie
Milk Topping
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- Peel the sweet potatoes and place them into a medium-sized pan. Cover them with cold water, add the salt, and boil for 20-30 minutes or until tender. Scoop the potatoes from the water and place them onto a platter to cool. Save ยพ cup of the cooking water.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Roll one pie crust large enough to fit into an 8 x 8-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cut off any overhanging dough.
- Place the sliced potatoes into the pie crust, evenly spreading them.
- In a medium bowl, place the sugars, flour, and cinnamon. Whisk to blend and break up any lumps. Add the potato water, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir. Pour this mixture over the potatoes in the pie crust.
- Use the other crust to make a top for the pie. Cut out shapes like leaves or make a traditional lattice crust top. Bake the pie for 40 minutes.
- Remove the pie from the oven and pour about half of the milk dip evenly over it. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Pour the rest of the dip over individual servings.
- While the pie bakes, stir together until smooth 1 tablespoon of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl. Pour this cornstarch mixture into the rest of the milk and stir.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, add the milk and cornstarch mixture, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir and bring to a boil to slightly thicken the mixture. Stir constantly.
- Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and 2 tablespoons butter. Stir to melt the butter.