Creamy Pinon Christmas Pie

Yield: one 9 inch pie

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 (9 inch) pie crust
• 1 1/2 cups shelled pinons (pine nuts)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F*.
2. Cream butter and sugar together in mixer or mixing bowl. Stir in all the ingredients (except the pinons), scraping bottom of bowl to mix completely with sugar and butter.
3. Pour into pie crust. Sprinkle pinons evenly atop mixture. Gently place pie in the center of oven, with foil or baking pan underneath to catch any overflow. Bake for a total of 1 hour. The first 15 minutes at 400 degrees F, then lower the oven to 375 degrees F for the remaining cooking time. After the second 15 minutes of cooking, rotate 180 degrees to even browing. Continue rotating the pie every 15 mintues as it bakes until the pie has risen, is browning, and is becoming firm, with clear liquid bubbles in the center.
4. Cool on rack for 1 hour.

Notes

* At sea level preheat oven to 375 degrees F and cook with out changing temperature.

Attribution

New Mexico Magazine, December 2008