My-Oh-My Sweet Potato Pie

PREP TIME: 20 MINS  

COOK TIME: I HOUR 5 MINS    

TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 25 MINS

Ingredients

½ cup butter (softened)

1 cup sugar

4 eggs (3 beaten for sweet potato mixture- and 1 left to beat into a little bowl for the egg wash on your fluted pie shell)

½ cup evaporated milk

2 fresh sweet potatoes similar in size/ comes to about 1 cup when baked, peeled and mashed

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 unbaked pie crust (store-bought or you can make your own-see NOTE below)

Instructions

1.    Preheat your oven to 350ᵒ. Wash your sweet potatoes. Then, dry them and wrap them in aluminum foil. Place them in a pan and bake them in your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. After they are done (to check if the potatoes are soft enough, you stick a sharp knife in them and it should easily go right through)

2.    Remove them from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes to cool a bit.

3.    Get out a mixing bowl and place all the rest of the ingredients onto your counter.

4.    Add to the mixing bowl the softened butter and sugar and blend.

5.    Beat the eggs stir or whisk them into the butter-sugar mixture. Next, add the evaporated milk and stir together.

6.    Now, remove the foil, and holding the sweet potatoes with a hot pad, remove the skins from the potatoes and place the pulp into your mixing bowl and mash the sweet potatoes into the mixture in your bowl. (The potatoes should be very soft and easy to mix with the other ingredients.)

7.    Next, add to the potato mixture, your vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves and whisk until nicely blended. (I usually start with a spoon and then finish the blending with a whisk until creamy.)

8.    Get out your unbaked pie shell (see NOTE: below in case you make your own pie dough and need a recipe) and fork little holes into the pie shell dough on the bottom and on the sides, so that it doesn’t bubble up. Flute the edges to make it look pretty. Place it onto a baking sheet.

9.    Now, pour your sweet potato mixture into the pie shell and smooth it down with your spoon.

10.           Take your last beaten egg, add a tiny spoon of water to it, whisk it ‘til blended. Then, get out a brush and dip it into the egg wash, and brush it onto the fluted edges of your crust for some extra shine. Bake for 40 minutes until the crust is a nice gold color and it no longer jiggles in the middle. Then, hear all your dinner guests say, “My-Oh-My!  I sure do love your Sweet Potato Pie!

(NOTE: If you have more time, here’s a good pie crust dough recipe:

1 1/4 cups all- purpose flour

½ teaspoon sugar

½ cup butter (cold-chilled)

¼ cup water (cold)

¼ teaspoon salt

Put your flour in a mixing bowl. Cut your butter into pats and add to the flour. Using a pastry blender, mash the butter into the flour until it’s like little tiny balls, Then, add the water and keep blending. At his point, I add the sugar and salt and use my (clean) hands and work the dough until it’s blended and smooth with no more balls. Then, place it on your floured counter, flour your rolling pin, and roll it out to the size of your pie pan.  Flute the edges removing any excess dough. (you can always use the excess to make leaves or little flowers or hearts for the top of the pie if you like)