Southern Style Sweet Potato Pie

Oven: 350 degrees

40-45 minutes

We were southerners from the start. That's for sure. All of us were born down there. Papa was born in Georgia, and Mama was born in Charleston South Carolina. Then, when I was just seven years old Papa had it in mind to move his family to Long Island. Those New York winters were quite challenging at first, but after a time we all adapted and from then on we got along just fine. During the holiday season, one of the staples of our diet that seemed to stand out far beyond the rest was Sweet Potatoes. Every year, either we would travel south to visit family in Georgia or South Carolina, sometimes in both, or my Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Grandma and Grandpapa would all come and spend a part of the holiday season with us. Of course they'd bring along a bounty from their garden just so that Mama could do her thing. This meant that we had a choice of Sweet Potatoes harvested in the low lands of South Carolina or in the red clay hills of Georgia. They are best harvested from the middle of autumn to the middle of the winter, so these were always at the stage of perfection. The Sweet Potatoes from Georgia were usually small and misshapen for some reason. However, they still retained their abundant flavor. The ones from South Carolina were much larger and more uniform. Mama never told me why that was. I suspect it was the climate and the soil and such. It is for sure though, that this was the least of my concern. She had such skill blending their wonderful flavor with the tastes of nutmeg, ginger, brown sugar, pecans, concentrated fruit juices, honey, maple syrup and a host of other ingredients. She made a delightful Sweet Potato Butter with all natural ingredients that we'd put on top of our Quick Breads and Dinner Rolls. It turned out to be a rather healthier alternative to butter. I'll have to share that recipe with you someday. The most popular dish of all of course was Mama's Sweet Potato Pie. People just literally could not get enough of them. They went so quick that she just could not seem to keep up with the demand around the holiday season. In time, she came up with a more simplified recipe that was quick and easy to mass produce.

1 T Vegetable Oil

1 Lb ('after roasting') Sweet Potato, mashed

4 Ounces Butter (One Stick), softened

2 Eggs, beaten

8 Ounces Evaporated Milk

1 Cup packed Brown Sugar

1 t Pure Vanilla Extract

1 t ground Cinnamon

¼ t Nutmeg

¼ t Allspice

¼ t Salt

1 9 inch unbaked deep dish Pie Crust

Pre-Heat Oven to 400 degrees. Bush fresh Sweet Potatoes with Oil and Roast for 45 minutes or until flesh is soft inside. Scrap out flesh into a Mixing Bowl and mash thoroughly. Add next nine ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the Pie Shell and Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until center is set, firm, and golden brown.

Author/Publisher T. S. Aschenge is a fulltime writer who lives and works in Atlanta Georgia. Among his writing skills and qualifications are Search Engine Marketing and Optimization, Ghost Writing, Technical Writing, Journalism, Resumes, Press Releases, Abstracts, Essays, and Research Papers. His website is called I CAN WRITE THAT 4 U! http://www.okwriteit.wordpress.com and his Blog is called IF NEAL STREET COULD TALK http://www.ifnealstreetcouldtalk.wordpress.com This year will mark his debut as a fiction writer as he publishes his first novel set in titled Woodruff Park.