What a week it's been! Sick in bed, rainy and cold outside and then sheer heartache hit...our Max was taken to Primary Children's Hospital with the H1N1Flu Virus!!! He was so very ill and all we could do was pray, hope and beg he would get well soon. Four very long days later he was able to go home!! He is doing his best to drink lots of liquids, and he's trying to eat (he is SO skinny) and now he has some serious video watching to catch up on! I can tell you, it's bad when your kids are down and out with illness or troubles but that is nothing compared to having a grandchild be sick! I was a wreck!
As my mom would say, that boy is pale and wan! I could fatten him up in no time if he was here! And now that I've broached that subject, let's move on to Goober Pie...yes, it is fattening, but you only need a small slice because it is so rich and didn't someone say peanuts are healthy!?? So there's that!
I made this pie for my book club - we had a Southern themed dinner to go with our book. Actually we had two books, To Kill A Mockingbird and Go Set A Watchman, said to be Harper Lee's newest...or is it?? We all love To Kill A Mockingbird, probably one of my top five books (and everyone else) but Watchman???? Nope, not even close, save yourself the time, it's horribly written and edited - total waste of paper and ink. But, having said that, reading the book did lead to a great discussion (not about the book) and a wonderful evening of Southern food...ending with this pie, so I suppose the book has some value!
Peanuts are sometimes called Goobers in the South...and this pie is about as Southern as you can get. It's kind of like a Pecan Pie, in texture, but has a definite molasses flavor that may seem a bit strong at first bite but give it a second and it will grow on you. Before you know it you'll have eaten your wee slice and will be back for more! This is especially good with vanilla ice cream and/or whipped cream...it's a keeper, and a 5 Danger - it's dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good!
Goober Pie comes together in no time but it takes an hour to bake and when you remove it from the oven it will be this luscious caramelized color - just let it cool to room temp and you can cut into it with wild abandon!
Goober (Peanut) Pie - Adapted from My Mother's Southern Entertaining by James Villas with Martha Pearl Villas (One of the best Southern cookbooks ever!)
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Karo light corn syrup
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, (lightly salted okay) roughly chopped
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (store bought or homemade, I use this recipe here)
Whipped cream or ice cream, optional, but why not?
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer till frothy, then add the sugar, corn syrup, molasses, melted butter, flour, cinnamon, salt and vanilla and beat till well blended and smooth. Add the peanuts and stir till the nuts are evenly distributed. Scrape the mixture into the pie shell and bake till the filling is just soft in the center and the crust is golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the pie completely on a wire rack and serve at room temperature with dollops of whipped cream or ice cream, if desired. Makes one 9-inch pie, serves 8.
