No Pecans in This Pecan Pie!

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No Pecans in this Pecan Pie! (618 words)
by: Joyce Moseley Pierce

I used to think I was the only one who
liked the gooey filling in pecan pie but hated
the pecans on top. That all changed when
one of my co-workers commented one day that
he, too, hated picking through the pecans
to get to the good stuff.

For his birthday, I decided my contribution
to the birthday treat table would be a pecan-free
pecan pie. I got out my trusty Betty Crocker
cookbook and looked up "Pecan Pie." I considered
just baking it and leaving the pecans out, but
was delighted to find a "Coconut-Oatmeal Pie."
Having seen pecan pies before and marveled at
the craftmanship involved in arranging all of
those pecan halves on the top made me wonder
how I would ever place those tiny pieces of
coconut and oatmeal on the top of this pie without
using tweezers!

Not being one who generally reads the entire
recipe before plowing right into it, you can
imagine my delight when I got to the part that
said to "stir in coconut and oatmeal." I paced
around the oven anticipating how it would all
come together and to my surprise, magic occurred!
The coconut and oatmeal joined during baking to
form a beautiful crisp, lacey topping.

Not having the option of tasting the pie before
I paraded it through the halls to place it
on the birthday table, I could only hope that it
would be pleasing to all who might try it. As it ended up,
I didn't have to worry about anyone but the birthday
boy! He liked it so well that after one piece he sneaked
it off to his office and either gorged on it for the
rest of the day or took it home with him that night.
All I know is that I didn't have to take a dirty
pie pan home with me! It was returned to me clean a
few days days later.

If there are any of you who share my aversion to
the combination of pecans and the sweet, gooey filling,
here's the recipe. It comes straight from the Better
Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. My copy is the Tenth
Edition.

By the way - it's not that I don't like pecans, but
for me it's a texture issue. I can eat nuts by the
bushel as long as you don't throw them into something
that doesn't require chewing!

Coconut-Oatmeal Pie:

3 eggs
1 cup corn syrup
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

For filling, in a mixing bowl beat eggs lightly
with a rotary beater or a fork till combined. Stir
in corn syrup, sugar, margarine or butter, and vanilla.
Stir well. Stir in coconut and oats.

Place a pastry-lined 9-inch pie plate on the oven
rack. Pour the filling into the pastry-lined pie
plate. Cover edge of pie with foil. Bake in a 350 degree
oven for 25 minutes.

Remove foil; bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or till
a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool
pie on a wire rack. Cover and chill to store. Makes
8 servings.

I might mention that if you actually like pecans or
other nuts on your pie here are a couple of other
variations.

Maple Pecan Pie: Prepare as above, except substitute
maple syrup or maple-flavored syrup for the corn syrup.

Peanut Pie: Prepare as above, except substitute
coarsely chopped peanuts, macadamia nuts, or cashews
for the pecans.

Pecan Pie: Prepare as above, except substitute
pecan halves. Believe it or not, they do rise to the
top of the pie!