oat cuisine*

*Not to be confused with haute cuisine. Oh no. Definitely not in my kitchen.

There was a time when I considered oatmeal for breakfast something akin to punishment. What did I do to deserve mushy, flavorless gruel with the texture of mucous to kick start my day?

I still don't love the stuff in that form, but I've discovered the magic of sweeteners and mix-ins and now I consider it acceptable breakfast fare. My new favorite use for oats, which in the past has been things like cookies (cocoatmeal scotchies FTW!) and crisp toppings, is this pie, aptly named Oatmeal Pie. It can essentially be described as pecan pie with oats replacing the nuts.

Confession: I LOVE pecan pie. It's too sweet** for my boyfriend, but I think it's amazing. Crunchy toasted pecans coated in sugary, syrupy goo atop a pastry crust is pretty much my idea of heaven on earth. Why would I go and swap out pecans for oats, their much lamer first cousin twice removed? Well, pecans are freakin' expensive and I didn't have any on hand. I did have oats and I had just seen this pie, so I decided to give it a try.

**I'm sorry, "too sweet"? I'm unfamiliar with this phrase, please explain it to me.

It's good! I toasted the oats a bit before adding them into the filling mixture in hopes of bringing out some extra nuttiness, and I liked the results. The top of this pie is super crunchy--its texture and flavor actually reminded me of an oatmeal cookie. The goo is concentrated on the bottom, so when you break through the oats on top, you bury your fork in some wonderfully sweet pie filling. My theory is that since oats are so light, they all migrated to the top while pecans are a bit heavier and stay suspended in the goo.

Whatever happened inside that oven, it was magical and I was pleased with the results. Watch out, pecan pie! Oatmeal pie is nipping at your heels!

Better-Than-It-Sounds Oatmeal Pie (alternatively Poor Man's Pecan Pie)
Based on this recipe
Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1-1/4 cups quick-cooking oatmeal, toasted
• 1 9-inch deep dish pie crust, unbaked

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
In another bowl, mix the beaten eggs, corn syrup, melted butter, and vanilla until well blended.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until everything is incorporated.
Stir in oatmeal and pour into unbaked pie crust.
Bake for 45-50 minutes; pie is done when the top is brown and the center is slightly jiggly.
Let the pie cool at room temperature for at least an hour before slicing.
Be sure to store any uneaten pie in the fridge!