it's never too late...

...for pie.

Yeah, so sweet potato pie seems to be reserved for Thanksgiving, but since I'm a rebel of epic proportions (she says oh-so-sarcastically), I made it in January. For no reason. Boo-yah.

Let me get this out of the way first--the best thing about this pie is that it tastes nothing like sweet potatoes. Don't get me wrong, I love sweet potatoes and all they have to offer. I'll take sweet potatoes fries over regular ones any day, and a loaded baked sweet potato (marshmallows included) will hit the spot on just about any occasion. What I mean is that the spices take center stage, and since cinnamon is the predominant spice here, I'm a happy eater.

The sweet potatoes do play an important role here, however--they're the vehicle, and a fine vehicle indeed. They are the Lamborghini of pie ingredients, lending an awesome, silky-smooth texture and the subtlest of earthy flavors.

Feel free to use canned sweet potatoes and a frozen crust if you must, but don't you feel such pride and accomplishment when everything is made from scratch? I know I do.

Happy Thanksgiving February!

Smooth-as-Silk Sweet Potater Pie
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
salt, to taste
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 9-inch pie crust, homemade or (brace yourself) store-bought

Preheat oven to 350F.
Steam the sweet potato chunks until tender and then place them into a blender or food processor with the milk, brown sugar, butter, spices, and salt; blend until smooth. Let the mixture cool a little before adding the eggs and vanilla and then blend again to combine.
If you've made your own crust, bake it in the oven for 10-12 minutes until partially cooked. Pour the sweet potato mixture into the pie shell and bake for a further 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.