Sweet Potato Pie

This recipe came from a website which is quickly becoming one of my favorites: SkinnyTaste.com

Every recipe I've tried from Gina's site (I've made about 6 so far) has turned out supper yummy!  Check it out!

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For this recipe, I used purple Okinawan sweet potatoes because they are readily available in my grocery store, so don't be thrown off by the purple color of the pies.  You're pies will come out to whatever color potatoes you use.

Ingredients:
(this recipe makes 1 pie, I doubled the recipe in the pictures because I needed to make two pies for Thanksgiving)

• 2 lbs. sweet potatoes
• 2 tbsp butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup milk (I used almond)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp ground pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and start washing those potatoes.  Once washed, place potatoes in a large pot with water, making sure all potatoes are under the waterline.  Cover the pot and set on high heat to bring water to a roaring boil.  Lower the heat (but keep the water boiling) and boil sweet potatoes until completely cooked (30 - 45 minutes).  A fork comes in hand to poke the potatoes to check for "doneness".

2.)  When potatoes are cooked, run under cold water and let them cool for about 10 - 15 minutes.  Once cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skins off the potatoes, throw naked potatoes into a bowl, and mash them up.   

Note- You will be using a hand mixer to mix the rest of the ingredients together, but it's easier to get out the lumps by now.

3.)  Add butter, sugar, milk, eggs, spices, and vanilla.  Using an electric mixer, mix until smooth.

4.)  Pour mixture into a frozen, unbaked pie crust and spread evenly.

5.) Before putting the pies into the oven, Anthony helped me make a pie shield to protect the crust from burning.  Simply take a piece of foil, trace the BOTTOM (not the top) of a pie dish and lay foil over the crust (like first picture in step 6, below). 

6.)  Bake at 350 degrees for about 55 - 60 minutes.  Remove the pie shields with about 10 - 15 minutes left of baking to brown the crust edges. Use a knife to pierce the middle of the pie to check if completely baked (knife should come out clean).  

7.)  Let the pie(s) cool completely on a cooling rack (about an hour or so) and refrigerate - longer the better - before serving.  ENJOY!