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*Yeah, this ain't keto*
I recently made some pies for a BBQ event, and they got way more requests for recipes than my excellent mac & cheese, so... here's the recipe! FIRST OF ALL, as I stated, this is a type of pie commonly referred to as a 'Depression Pie' or a 'Desperation Pie.' It was highly utilized during the Great Depression, when households were required to economize. It's in the same category as the mock apple pie recipes you see made from Ritz Crackers. The Oatmeal Pie is a delicious diabetic horror show made with a ton of sugar, and some oats and coconut flakes holding it together. It tastes like Pecan Pie. In fact, I might add some bourbon to it at some point and see how that turns out..... But not THIS TIME. This time, I am giving you the recipe straight from my stepdad Jan Manley - who got it from his parents, who got it from their parents - who were Okies during the Dust Bowl, living near Tulsa, OK. Some of these Depression pies can actually be found as early in recipes from the 1740s, so while they seem particularly connected to the Great Depression culinary world, in fact many just regained popularity while households made do during austerity and then rationing during WWII. Anyhoo, the recipe: THIS MAKES TWO PIES. It is what it is. They always get eaten, so it should be fine. Plan on sugar euphoria for while. 2 Frozen pie shells - DEEP DISH
1 1/2 cup Quick Oats
1 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 1/2 cup DARK Karo syrup
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 stick butter (melted)
4 eggs (beaten slightly)
1 tsp vanilla
Fix the pie shells as the manufacturer instructs. If you make your own, good on you, you should feel very good about your pastry skills. For the rest of us, I like the Marie Callendar pie shells.
I parbake the shells - Have the oven pre-heated to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Thaw the shells for about ten minutes, then dock the hell out of them. Docking means taking a fork, or some other pointy thing and poking holes throughout the pastry so that as it bakes, it can expand without cracking. Cook the shell for about 10 minutes. Pull out of the oven, reset the oven to 350. Let the pies cool, usually about 20 minutes. The picture below shows the par-baked crust, and you can see that even with multiple holes, that the crust will still bubble up.
Mix the rest of the ingredients. If you have a mixer, great, put the ingredients in one at a time, and get that mixer mixing! Fill up the cooled pie shells. Bake at 350 for about an hour. Let cool for an hour or two. Cover and put in fridge overnight, so it can set properly. Yes, this is a pie you must plan for. Totally worth it though. Be the HERO of your next potluck!
I'm going to figure out ways to make these square, so I can sell them almost like brownies or something if I ever open my BBQ business. I'll keep you posted! :P
