Got Built?

Pumpkin pie is a funny thing – for one, pumpkin isn’t a naturally delicious food, and it certainly isn’t particularly sweet. Neither is it easy to prepare.

I used to make my own pumpkin pie – from an actual pumpkin – and it was truly a pain in the ass to make: carve the pumpkin, cook it up, peel it, mash it, THEN make the pies… I seriously have no idea who the hell came up with this idea. However, being a pie snob, I would do this every year and yes, it was really delicious. Funny how that happens when you put enough butter, sugar and whipping cream into a dish.

One year I got lazy and decided to use sweet potatoes instead. Now sweet potatoes taste wonderful to begin with – so the addition of butter, sugar and spice just makes them that much more wonderful. As an added perk, I always have baked sweet potatoes ready to rock and roll – with an instant pie crust mix, my former day-long adventure now takes me about 10 minutes to prepare.

Finally, pie that really IS easy as pie!

Makes two pies

(To bake sweet potatoes, wrap them in foil and toss ‘em in the oven at 400-450 F for about an hour, or until soft. Cool and unwrap.)

Preheat oven to 350 F

Crust:
2 uncooked piecrust shells (I cheat and use a mix)

Filling:
1 can coconut milk + ½ cup water
4 eggs
4 cups mashed baked sweet potato (2-3 large sweet potatoes)
2 cups (firmly packed) golden sugar
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt

Method:
Blend/purée filling, pour into the pie shells and bake at 350 F until done – about 40 minutes.
Cool and serve with whipped topping, whipped cream or ice cream if not allergic, or … wait for it … marshmallow fluff!