Crunchy leaves,  a brisk chill in the air, the smell of rain…

It’s that time of year!  November here in the USA is kind of like the foodie olympics.  Whether you’re strictly a meal eater or an egg beater, whether you prefer to watch from the sidelines or tie things with kitchen twine, November has it all.  While I love almost every dish involved in the Thanksgiving spread, there is one that is iconically autumnal for me: PIE!!  I have always been a die-hard pumpkin pie fan.  I have a weird obsession with pumpkins, so as you can imagine, it was very hard for me to admit that this recipe trumped any pumpkin pie I had ever tried… and all those wonderful spices make it just as deliciously “Novembrous” as that squashy staple.  Give it a try, and let me know if you, too, are a convert.

Oh Lord I feel fine today
I’m walking on cloud nine today
I’m over that line today
Happiness is finally mine today….
It’s strictly on account of my….

Sweet Potato Pie!
makes 1 9″ deep dish or 2 regular 8″ pies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. mashed sweet potatoes, (about 4 raw sweet potatoes, boiled and mashed)
1/4 c. softened butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 eggs
1 c. half and half
1 frozen pie crust (you can make your own, but that recipe is for another day!)

Preparation:

If you haven’t done so, peel your taters – it should take 4 average sized ones to make 1.5 cups of mashed sweet potatoes… or 3 large ones with a side of gimpy.

Cut the potatoes into 1″ chunks – this will speed up your boiling time tremendously.

Boil until soft, then mash.  Measure out 1 1/2 cups and throw that into a bowl – you can either hand mix or use a stand mixer.  I love making mashed potatoes in my stand mixer!  It takes so much of the work out of it, and you still get a wonderful consistency as long as you don’t overbeat your potatoes.

Add your sugar, spice, and everything nice…

Beat the 2 eggs and add to the bowl, then add the half and half.  Mix all together until consistently smooth.  Pour into a 9″ deep dish frozen pie crust or two 8″ frozen pie crusts – feel free to use your own pie crust recipe if you have one!  As I’ve said before, I’m not a huge baker, so I have to test out a few before I post one here.

Sprinkle a little cinnamagic on top of your pie, and bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then lower your heat to 350 and bake for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.

You can serve this with some delicious vanilla icecream, or maybe some homemade cinnamon whipped cream.  Sound like a recipe you’d like to have?  Well then keep on coming back to WTW for the post!

Wine:

I’ve been slacking off on the wine portion of my blog for a bit now, mostly because my last few posts have been desserts or drinks and I am just so not a dessert wine person.  I will do a shameless little self-plug for this one, though… it’s not wine, but it’s still delicious.  Plus, I’m a sucker for hot drinks with dessert.  Why not try a deliciously warming pumpkin spiced apple cider martini?

2 oz. apple cider
1 T. pumpkin spice simple syrup (recipe here)
2 oz. spiced rum (like Sailor Jerry’s or Bacardi OakHeart)

Heat up the apple cider and pumpkin spice simple syrup in a saucepan; for an extra kick, throw in a few cloves and cinnamon sticks while you bring it to a simmer.  Pour into a mug, add the rum, and serve with a cinnamon stick!

Have a slice of pie and quite a few of these and you’ll understand the TRUE meaning of “fall!”

Corny words and warm bellies,
Echo