BY CLAIRE PRICE
Do you have a recipe that brings back special memories? One of mine is Poor Man’s Pecan Pie.
We would spend summers at my grandparents’ house in Wise County, VA. Most nights after dinner, we would sit on the front porch. Especially after the rain, the smell of the boxwood bushes surrounding the front of the property was magnificent.
A staple at most of my grandmother’s dinners was cornbread baked in a cast-iron skillet. The cornbread was carefully portioned out during dinner to ensure there would be enough left over for a nighttime snack. My grandmother would break it up in a small bowl and either pour whole milk or buttermilk over it. Many people would turn their nose up at this; as kids, we thought it was better than ice cream.
After my youngest aunt married, she started the tradition of making this pie. Money was tight, pecans were expensive, and someone at her church shared this recipe. Even after times were better financially, we all agreed we wanted the pie made with oatmeal instead of pecans. Add a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream – YUM!
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POOR MAN'S PECAN PIE
Ingredients
2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. dark syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cube butter
2/3 c. oatmeal
8 1/2" pie crust
Directions
Cream sugar and butter. Add syrup, oatmeal, and vanilla; mix well. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake for 40 minutes at 325 degrees. Top with Cool Whip or ice cream. Add nuts if desired.