Sweet Potato Pie

I had never eaten sweet potato pie, let alone made it, when a work colleague asked me to make one. The woman was insistent that I could make a good sweet potato pie. "Alright," I told her, "give me a week." One thing I learned through trial and error is that while pumpkin and sweet potato pies may look similar, they are very different. I went into the experiment thinking pumpkin pie would be my favorite of the two. Now, I'm not so sure.

Makes 1 9-inch pie

1 9-inch pie crust (make your own or use a store-bought refrigerated variety)

Nonstick cooking spray

3 cups cooked yams (fresh or canned)

4 tablespoons melted margarine

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Coat a 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray and place rolled-out dough in pan, crimping the edges and pricking the bottom with a fork.

Drain and mash yams. Mix in margarine, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Then add evaporated milk and vanilla.

Pour mixture into shell. Sprinkle with pecans if desired. Sprinkle top with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. It's done when it no longer jiggles.