SLAP YO MAMA SWEET POTATO PIE!

Well hello there! How have you been? I'll bet you thought by now that this flaky blogger was NEVER going to come back here, now didn't you? I know, it's been awhile, but if you read my last post then you know that I've been busy (and Lordy Lordy how I hate that excuse, or any excuses, really......), what with re-vamping our local Arts Center gift shop, decorating my own home for the upcoming Holidays AND celebrating Mr. Badass's birthday weekend in style. In fact, we just returned from seeing a favorite blues artist of my husband's, Tommy Castro (who hails from San Francisco) in a famed Syracuse BBQ joint. If you'd like to check  a little of Tommy's music out, you can do so, HERE........

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So what are your plans for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday? Ours are a little bit "different" this year, as we won't be traveling back to California for the first time in EONS to spend Thanksgiving with our families. This year, it's just Mr. Badass and me. Our daughter will be staying out west, and will be driving from Berkeley up to my parent's home in the Sierra Mountains to feast with the elders.....God give her strength! Hee hee. And really, Badass shouldn't be leaving his office here in New York right now anyways, as his Office Manager just had brain surgery and will be out for a while longer, and we need to save our air travel pennies for our Spring travel extravaganza /   excursions to New Orleans AND Paris, France. So, we're spending the day with members at the club my husband manages, eating in the cozy dining room. No dishes! Yea! But alas, no leftovers! Boo!

So what is a leftover and stuffing lovin', pie eatin' girl to do? Why, make her own big fat pie, just for the two of us, that's what! This weekend I made one of my personal favorites, an incredibly rich and delicious Sweet Potato Pie. I am serious when I say it'll make you wanna slap yo mama--it's THAT good! Really, if you've never had a sweet potato pie, it's very similar to a traditional pumpkin pie, but I find I like the texture a bit more. It's a little less custard-y. And, you use real and fresh sweet potatoes, unlike the majority of pumpkin pie recipies, which call for pumpkin from a can. My secret ingredient for the BEST Sweet Potato Pie? Grated orange peel--it really wakes up the flavor! Well, that and evaporated milk--makes the pie super creamy.

To begin, you'll need about of pound of fresh sweet potatoes...............

Boil them in their skin for about 50 minutes, or until very fork tender. Run cold water over the sweet potatoes when they're right out of the boiling water--this will make the skins come right off (a cool trick, in my book!)...............

Break apart the sweet potatoes into a large bowl. Add butter, and mix well (I used my hand mixer)..............

Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and grated orange peel.............do NOT skip the orange peel, or you will be sorry!............

Beat with your mixer on medium speed until mixture is very smooth. Pour into an unbaked pie crust (I make my own, but you can always use a frozen pie crust, or those pre-rolled out refrigerated pie crusts. For my easy from scratch pie crust recipe, check THIS out).............

Usually I like to decorate the rim of my pies with a little leaf-shaped cookie cutter, but this year I used a little heart shaped cutter that I found in my ridiculously cluttered cookie cutter (or should I say, cookie CLUTTER?) collection. I cut out a trillion little hearts out of my leftover pie dough, then pressed them into the rim of the pie..........

Bake for about an hour, or until filling is firm....................

I am SO having a piece of this Slap Yo Mama Sweet Potato Pie for supper, tonite...............

Here's the recipe...........Enjoy!

SLAP YO MAMA SWEET POTATO PIE

Serves about 8

1 lb. sweet potatoes

1 stick of butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 / 2 cup Eagle Brand evaporated milk

2 eggs

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

finely grated zest of 1 / 2 orange

1 9 inch unbaked pie crust

Boil sweet potato whole in skin for about 50 minutes, or until fork tender. Run cold water over the sweet potatoes, and remove skin. Break apart sweet potatoes in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and cinnamon. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TODAY I'M SO THANKFUL FOR.....

***Sweet Potato Pie in my refrigerator!

***The upcoming party-filled holiday season--a great excuse to buy a new dress, no?

***No snow, and it's November 21st! Please don't tell any of my snow loving friends that I said that.......