Oatmeal Pie part 2

The Book-club meeting held at my house last night was one of the most fun ever. We laughed and talked and ate.
There was a real diverse group of ladies--some of us are "friends" outside of book-club and some of us are only acquaintances.

(if you want to see my book club post, go here . It's my other blog)

This particular book-club has been meeting since 2003, but there are only 3 of us who have been with it since the beginning. It ebbs and flows on members. 3 of us since the beginning and a core group of 6 who are always in attendance. It can grow to 12 and I think if everyone came there would be 15 of us there.
I encourage people to invite their friends, because I like diversity.
It's fun to have that "stay-at-home" mom and that lawyer discussing the same book (These girls are the same age and went to high school together. Same age as my sons)

A group like this doesn't always work for everyone. Most times, it's nice to have some common background, but in this group we have mothers and daughters, old friends, new friends, doctors, lawyers and Indian chiefs. It's fun.

But you really want to know how the oatmeal pies turned out, don't you? They were "okay". I don't think I would pre-cook the pie crust next time. Even tho it says to. They were a bit overdone (as you can tell by the pictures.) But the crust itself is good and flaky, like a homemade pie crust should be.

I've seen a few different recipes for Oatmeal Pie, and I really wanted to make the one that has coconut in it, but I didn't. I thought that coconut was a luxury food item, that they probably didn't have on the Island of Guernsey in 1947. So we stayed as close to "rustic" as we could.
I used an Amish recipe from Marcia Adams "Cooking From Quilt Country". She added a bit of orange zest, which I also did. I think if I make this recipe again tho, I'll leave it out. And if we're being true foodstuff that were available, there were probably no oranges to be had on the Island of Guernsey during the occupation. (The truth is, they most likely didn't have corn syrup either. or cinnamon)

Before I post the pictures and the recipe, I have to tell you that my friend Kathy brought a "Potato Peel Pie" which was so fitting as the book was "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society."
She made up the recipe. It was not anything like a Shepherd's Pie, which was what I thought it would be. It was a Potato Peel Pie. And....it was SOOO GOOOD!!
Nothing like the one in the book. No beets to sweeten the pie. Kathy made a savory pie. I'll post pictures of her pie at the end of this. And give her recipe.

I do feel bad....the buttermilk pie that April made? I have no pictures. And it was a great pie!! Very sweet, very simple. I think they call it a "poor man's" pie. It was a favorite. It was SOOO GOOOD too.


Oatmeal Pie

1 pre-baked 9-inch pie shell (I think you can really get by without a "pre-baked" shell)
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon grated orange rind (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup quick oatmeal, uncooked

preheat the over to 350. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Add to eggs and blend. Add the corn syrup, melted butter, orange rind and vanilla and blend again. Mix in the oatmeal and pour into the baked pie crust.
Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool completely and serve at room temperature.

My wonderful photos need no explination.
(or do they?)

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Kathy's Potato Peel Pie

She said it she made it like a quiche. With peels from Yukon gold potatoes, a leek, butter, eggs and jack cheese.
And Celtic Sea Salt.
It was really good.
And so much a part of the theme of the book.....