Easter Day on Elizabeth's Ranch

Easter Day was simply wonderful. We missed two years of celebrating Easter with family, so we were extremely happy to be home this year and spending the day out on Elizabeth's ranch with the boys, their brides-to-be and the grandchildren. These are a few photos from the beauty found on ranch which was also featured in a previous post from last October.

Joseph's Coat Roses

The Call to Dinner

I simply adore this handmade cross on the outside stone fireplace

What better ending to a most perfect Easter Day down at The Ranch!

 

The Best Sweet Potato Pie

Crust

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup finely-chopped pecans

1/2 cup cold butter

1/4 cups ice-cold water, or as needed

In a food processor, pulse together all the dry ingredients and the butter into short bursts until the mixture forms pea-sized lumps. Add the water through the feed chute as you pulse until the mixture forms a stiff dough and pulls away from the sides of the food processor bowl. Form the dough into a 6-inch disk and wrap it in plastic; chill for one hour.

Filling

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon melted butter

Pecan halves for decoration

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll the chilled pie dough into a 12-inch round and press into a 9-inch pie pan. Flute the edges. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the crust is set and beginning to brown slightly. Remove the pie pan from the oven and let it cool. Put the sweet potatoes into a medium pot and cover them with water by an inch. Bring to a boil. Boil slowly until the potatoes are tender with no absolutely no resistance at the center when pieced with a fork. Drain off the water and mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Do not use a potato ricer or food processor. As you mash the potatoes, add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; then whisk in the eggs, milk, and vanilla. The butter goes in last. Once the filling is well-mixed, pour it into the baked pie crust. Arrange pecan halves around the outside edges and sprinkle the top of the pie with more ground cinnamon. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the filling is set and the edges of the crust have browned. Serve the pie warm or at room temperature with whipped cream!