Sweet Potato Pie

• Remove the butter from the refrigerator to soften it. In a medium pot, bring enough water to cover the potatoes to a boil.
• Meanwhile, peel and cut the potatoes into large cubes, and add them to the heating water and boil for 15 – 20 minutes until they are fork tender. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Drain the potatoes thoroughly and put them in a large bowl (alternatively, use an electric mixer). Mash the sweet potatoes with the butter and all the remaining ingredients except the crust.
• Whip the mixture until it is mostly smooth. (At this point, you can refrigerate the filling for up to 48 hours).
• Spoon the sweet potatoes into the crust and bake it for an hour (or up to 1 1/2 hours if you like a browner top). Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving it.

To Make Your Own 20-Minute Pie Crust

• Combine 1 cup of flour and 1/2 tsp. salt in a bowl. With two forks, cut 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. butter or Crisco into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse cornmeal.
• Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. ice water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, over the pastry mixture, tossing lightly with the fork after each addition and sprinkling only the dry portion. Pastry should be just moist enough to hold together, but not sticky.
• With a large piece of waxed paper underneath and on top of the dough so it doesn’t stick to the rolling pin, roll the dough into a circular shape. Lift off the top piece of wax paper, and flip the dough into a pie plate, gently pressing it into the plate and removing the waxed paper.
• With your fingers, flute the crust to the rim of the pie plate to adhere it. Trim the edges with a paring knife and patch the crust if needed. Refrigerate the crust until you are ready to fill it.