Like a pumpkin pie, but with a little more texture, and a lot more Southern heart. We make this pie with a graham-cracker crust, which adds a nice touch of extra sweetness to it.
Preheat oven to 160. Put in a food processor:
175 g graham crackers
30 ml superfine sugar
2 ml cinnamon
Pulse food processor until graham crackers are turned into fine crumbs, but do not over process them to a powder. Add:
70 g melted butter
Pulse again until the crumbs are moistened, and then pour into a pie pan. Press the mixture flat to the bottom of the pan, and up the sides to the top of the pan. Bake for five minutes, and then remove and set aside to cool.
Boil in a large saucepan for 15 minutes:
500 g orange-fleshed sweet potatoes
Drain and rinse under cold water until they are cool enough to handle. The peels will slide off, and then you can cut them into wedges and put them in a large bowl. Add:
3 eggs
125 ml brown sugar, firmly packed
Blend together until very smooth, and beat in:
350 ml evaporated milk
45 ml melted butter
10 ml vanilla extract
5 ml cinnamon
5 ml ground nutmeg
2 ml salt
Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell and bake for 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted at the center comes out clean.