Sweet (potato) surprises {a recipe}

  Yesterday, my mom reminded me that it's been a year since she fell in a hotel room and broke her shoulder.  It not only brought up the fact that she indeed tripped over my kids' mess, but the extreme stress which was the Holidays of 2011.  You see, my mom is the the patron saint of mothers.  In such a way that she ends up acting like every one's mother.  Case in point, the holidays.  My mother makes 4 hams, 4 sweet potato pies, 4 pecan cheesecakes, 4 chocolate cakes and 2 pumpkin cheesecakes between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Imagine my utter terror, when that task fell to me last year.   For the record I only made 2 sweet potato, 2 hams, and 5 chocolate cakes, last year.     That said I really wanted to share a funny little story that came out of the Holiday of 2011.  It wouldn't be my life if I couldn't laugh about it.  Also, I now have a story of my own, along with a recipe (that's kind of my own) to pass down to my kids and grandkids.   Last year, I was tasked with making sweet potato pies.  I don't make pies.  Cakes, cupcakes, pudding, scratch frosting, cookies by the dozen, yes.  Pies, no way.  I'm 34 years old and up until last holiday I had never once made a pie.  Not a pumpkin, not a cheesecake, not a single fill in with pie filling pie.     I was terrified to say the least.   

Not bad for a first pie, am I right?

  Also batting against me was the passed down recipe from my Great Grandma Mamie.  Mamie was superwoman.  I only knew her late in her life, but even then if you left a cup out she washed it and put it away before you could finish it.  If you left your jacket on the couch, it was washing when you went to put it on, and if you liked things like southern home style cooking, she had the touch.  Years ago, when I was a little girl, and Granny was no longer able to make her pies for the holidays, my mom set out to rediscover her recipe for sweet potato pies.  My grandpa loves them, I'm sure for the sheer memory of happy holidays when he was a boy.    When mom had asked Granny for the recipe, she didn't have it written somewhere, it was just in her mind.  So mom had to guess and experiment as she went.  For years my mom worked and tried, and literally trashed pies trying to come up with the one. The one that was the right texture, consistency, and spiced just right.  Finally she found one that worked, and sweet potato pie was back as a Thanksgiving and Christmas staple.   Then I crashed the kitchen.    I was so nervous.  This was the pie.  This was what my grandpa waited for all year.  Now I was the one who was going to make or break his holiday.  I almost cried at the idea.  Still, I put on my big girl apron, I went out and bought the ingredients, and I baked that pie.  From scratch.   I delivered the pies to my grandpa the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.  I waited a few hours before I called to see if they had tried them.  My Grandma answered the phone, and I asked her if Grandpa had tried the pies.  Not only had Grandpa tried the pies, but she tried them too, and guess what?   "You could give your mama a run for her money in pie making".   Whoa.  What?   Grandma and Grandpa raved about my pies.  The texture, the flavor, the richness.  What did you do differently they asked.  I didn't know.  I followed the recipe, I baked the sweet potatoes instead of boiled.  I even used my electric mixer to make it all smooth.  But that was it.  Even my mom said they were better, and that my new contribution to the holidays would be this pie.   Then it was time for the Christmas baking. And guess what the secret was? Sweetened Condensed Milk.   When I was in my terrified haze at Thanksgiving, I wasn't paying attention to the "canned milk".  Granny said that her pies used "canned milk", my mother took that as evaporated.  So for years evaporated milk was the ingredient.  Since I wasn't paying attention while shopping with my then 4 year old and 1.5 year old, while being blindsided by terror, I picked the first can off the shelf.  That can was sweetened condensed milk.   Thanksgiving is next week, and thank God we have all our limbs in tact and not in traction.  I'm looking forward to baking my 3 cakes, buying my pumpkin pie at Costco, and baking 24 vintage cupcakes.  My mom will be baking the sweet potatoes, adding the sweetened condensed milk, and providing the memories of Christmas past to my Grandpa.    Not all baking disasters end badly.  Sometimes you get a sweet (potato) surprise.      

Granny's Sweet Potato Pie

2 large Sweet Potatoes baked

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter  (do not use margarine)

2 T. Flour

1 t. baking powder

3/4 c.  sweetened condensed milk

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. cinnamon

2 T. Vanilla (yes, tablespoons)

1 c. sugar

2 unbaked pie crusts (scratch or store bought)

Bake sweet potatoes at 400 degrees for 2-4 hours depending on size. Mash.  Add in the rest of the ingredients until smooth, by hand or hand mixer.  Pour into 2 unbaked pie shells and bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven until firm on top.

*Note:  I baked my pie on a cookie sheet.

Make this cake {and eat it too!}

Since I'm away from the bloggy today, I'm sharing a recipe

that has been seen on Mom 2 Memphis and Ruby. 

I was a guest there back in May. 

Get your bake on friends!

Y'all may think I'm crazy.  Since I'm on a 100% grain free diet, but love to bake.  I may not be able to eat cake, but I can make cake.  From scratch.  I know what you are thinking.  You think that I've gone rogue and now I'm one of those "mommy" bloggers with Martha grade baking pans and expert icing equipment.  Wrong.  Don't you know me at all? 

I don't bake anything that requires things like sifting, piping, or making any kind of essence of anything.  It's just not my thing.  If it ain't easy, mama don't make it.  So imagine my surprise when this scratch cake, change my life, and almost convinced my husband that he needed to re-marry me.  Seriously, after one bite he gave a look I hadn't seen in years.  It's like he fell in love with me all over again. 

Meet The Peanut Butter Monster Cupcake (originally found here)

These were a hit!
And they were the easiest!

And Meet his cute sister, Mac's 2nd Birthday Cake

Big sis Caitlin provided the sprinkle work.
It's pretty genius if you ask me.
And we didn't light all the candles.
I promise!

Now both the cupcakes and the frostings are from scratch.  And I promise you will only need a hand mixer.  I swear.  I don't own one of those fancy schmancy Kitchen Aids.  Because if I were going to invest that kind of money, I'd probably say "WTH" and buy an iPad.  See, I'm not a baker, I just play one on my blog...

Ok, let's get down to biz:

From Scratch Amaze-balls Chocolate Cake (original recipe found here**)
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa (I used Hershey's Baking Cocoa powder)
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups water
2/3 cup oil ( I used standard vegetable)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBS vinegar (yes, vinegar, I used white)

In a bowl whisk together dry ingredients and set aside.  In another bowl mix all wet ingredients together.  Then combine the two and whisk until you have no lumps.  I swear NO MIXER needed.  Pour batter into a prepared pan (mine was a lg Pyrex) or cupcake pan with liners.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes for a cake or 22-25 minutes for cupcakes.

Peanut Butter Wowzer Frosting (original recipe for basic butter cream here**)
original recipe for the peanut butter frosting found here
3 sticks butter softened
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup. peanut butter (I used Planters All Natural)

Now, you will need a hand mixer to beat the butter and peanut butter together.  Then add your vanilla, then slowly add your powdered sugar until you like the consistency.  I actually went out and bought piping bags and frosting tips when I made these for the hubby's birthday in January.  The piping wasn't so bad once you get the hang of it but it's not necessary.  Also the cherry on top, isn't really a cherry, it's a peanut butter cup.  And it's delicious!

As a side note, if you just want some basic frosting, leave out the peanut butter and you will have a cake or cupcakes similar to Mac's 2nd Birthday Cake.  Which I let big sister Caitlin cover in the sprinkles of her choice.  I felt it was a nice touch. 

Not so bad, am I right?  Are you going to get your inner Betty Crocker on and bake from scratch?  I promise friends, if I can do it, while my 2 girls run and scream about My Little Ponies, anyone can. 

Linking up with Kristine!!