WALNUT MAPLE PIE

Last nights Walnut Maple Pie was a winner.  It is very similar to pecan pie but it uses maple syrup instead of corn syrup and this recipe had less egg, butter, sugar and nuts but more vanilla and flour than the pecan pie I made last year.  I felt better about using pure maple syrup instead of corn syrup but it does bump up the cost quite a bit.  It said you could use maple flavored syrup, although I wouldn't recommend it. I gave that up years ago when I started trying to eat less processed foods and although maple syrup is more expensive you don't eat it often and once you get use to the real stuff there is no turning back.  Since this pie had quite a bit less nuts it wasn't as thick which wasn't bad but next time I make it I'll make it more similar to my pecan pie by adding more nuts 2-2 1/2 cups, an 1/8 t. Kosher salt and 1 t. vanilla.  Original recipe came from Reader's Digest "Like Grandma Used to Make".

Filling:

3 eggs (but use only 2 egg whites and 1 whole egg)

1 C. real maple syrup

1 T. butter, melted

2 T. flour

½ C. firmly packed brown sugar

1 ½ t. vanilla

½ C. walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Place crust in pan, line with foil, shinny side down, add beans or pie beads. Bake 15 minutes, remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.  Lower oven to 350°F.  Mix filling ingredients and pour into pie shell.  Bake 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Note:  After 45 minutes the crust was browned, the knife came out clean but it looked like something was alive in the pie.  The center was jiggly and it moved/bubbled.  You didn't see the bubbles but it was moving.  I let is sit and it did gel so don't worry.  If I would have put it in the oven longer I the crust would have been too dark even if I covered it with foil.