Step 1

To make homemade pie crust (you can also a 9-inch use store-bought crust): Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. (Alternatively, you can make the dough by hand and use a pastry blender, two forks or your fingers to work in the butter.) Pulse a few times to combine the dry ingredients.

Step 2

Add the cold butter cubes to the food processor. Pulse 8-10 times, until the largest butter pieces are the size of small peas.

Step 3

Add 3 tablespoons of ice-cold water. Pulse just until the dough just starts to come together, adding one more tablespoon of cold water if the dough seems too dry. The dough should still look crumbly at this point, but it should hold together if you press it between your fingers.

Step 4

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Use your hands to bring the dough together into a ball and then shape into a round disk.

Step 5

Roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle and transfer it to a 9-inch pie pan. You can gently wrap the dough around your rolling pin or gently fold it into quarters to make it easier to transfer. Lightly fit the dough into the pie dish. Do not press it down or the crust may stick to the pie dish after baking.

Step 6

Trim the edges so that only ½-inch hangs over the edge of the pie dish. Fold the edges under and flute/crimp as desired using your fingers or a fork. Place the pie crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the pie filling.

Step 7

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the whole unpeeled sweet potato(es). Boil for 40-50 minutes, until very tender when pierced with a fork. Transfer the sweet potato to a colander and rinse under cold water. Let it rest until cool enough to handle and then peel off the skin (discard skins).

Step 8

Preheat oven to 350° F with a rack in the center of the oven.

Step 9

Place the sweet potato in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). Use an electric mixer to mash it until smooth.

Step 10

Add the brown sugar and butter to the bowl. Mix until incorporated.

Step 11

Add the eggs and mix until incorporated. Then mix in the heavy whipping cream.

Step 12

Add the vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Mix until well combined.

Step 13

Pour the sweet potato mixture into the prepared pie crust. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until the center of the pie barely jiggles when you shake it gently and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 14

Let pie cool on a wire rack at room temperature for about 2 hours. Then either refrigerate or serve. Pie can be served chilled or at room temperature.