Glad I checked in on this, Catkim. I have that pie baking in the oven as I'm typing this and boy, does it smell heavenly. Glad to have the heads up about the pie needing time to cool and set up - I wondered as I was preparing it, as the filling ingredients were so *wet* because of the juicy pears and syrup! DH will just have to be patient and be ready to enjoy pear & walnut pie for dessert tomorrow. (Like you, I used my usual (oil based, not shortening) pie crust as well. To me, the crust part of the recipe seemed like too much work, LOL!) Anne

LOL Jeri - I think you are right! At least that is what *I* would do with it *hic* LOLOLOL! Here is one of my "must haves".... Alexa ******************************************************** New England Biscuits with Cranberries and Rosemary 2 cups flour 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces ½ cup dried cranberries 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary, finely chopped 1 cup buttermilk 1 egg, lightly beaten Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Place the mixture in a large bowl. Stir in the cranberries, rosemary and buttermilk. Mix well. The dough will be sticky. Transfer to a floured work surface. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough 10 times or until smooth. Pat into a round about ½ inch thick. Using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter or drinking glass, cut out biscuits and place on the prepared pan. Gather the scraps and repeat until all the dough is used. Brush the biscuit tops with the beaten egg. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool slightly.

I'm having trouble understanding what was so disappointing....'gloppy mess', do you mean the custard didn't set or just didn't appear the way you expected? If it was just that there weren't distinct layers, I wouldn't give it a second thought, I'd serve it. The pie I made my nephews wife at Thanksgiving had way more pecans than the recipe called for....my bag of chopped may have been 12 oz but I used them all instead of the 1 C pecan halves the recipe states. Pie was gone in a heartbeat, no one complained. I try to come as close as I can to everyone's favorites for Thanksgiving without making one dessert each ;) One year niece in law asked if she could begin to request pecan, telling me being from Texas, it signified home to her. So of course I accommodate even though it's never been a regular on our holiday tables. I use the Dear Abbey recipe... 1 cup light corn syrup 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 3 eggs, slightly beaten 1/3 cup butter, melted 1/3-1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla Cup pecan halves (I subbed 12 - or 16? - oz bag chopped pecans, I'm not even sure now, I made 5 pies Wednesday, other things, sharing my kitchen with a friend who needed a place to cook and the day a bit of a blur)

You might want to try a little trick I use. I take Sprouted-Grain Cereal (they are wholegrain nuggets similar to Grape-nuts) and make a crumb crust with it much like making a graham cracker crust (which would be another option for you). It only takes a little bit of butter (about 1 T. melted) to make a whole lot of taste and it will be more satisfying than completely fat-free. Add a little honey for sweetener and to help it stick together and just press it in your pie pan and bake until it is set and browned a bit. I don't have a recipe, I just guess at the amounts and I use tart pans and make a small pie for two people. I make 2-servings of homemade chocolate pudding, or blueberry filling with frozen berries and thicken it a bit and add a sweetener to taste, using this "crust" for our little "tart pies". You can also pulse the cereal in a food processor if you don't like the "crunch". You could also make your lemon pie filling, fill the pie pan, add the meringue and go entirely crust-free. Here's my version of Apple Pie and hubby has never missed the crust. I serve it in a tulip-shaped ice cream dish with a little of the cereal sprinkled on the top and it's not bad with a bit of ice cream on the top, either. Orange Sauced Apples 3 T. brown sugar (I use agave nectar - a low-glycemic sweetener) 1 T. cornstarch 1/4 t. nutmeg 1 c. orange juice 2-3 medium cooking apples, thinly sliced In medium skillet (or pan), combine brown sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg and orange juice; blend well. Stir in apple slices. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil stirring occasionally. reduce heat. Cover; simmer 5-10 minutes or until apples are tender and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve warm. Yields: Four (1/2-cup) servings. (We like the leftovers cold, the next day.) Note: I sometimes toss in some raisins, craisins, dried blueberries, or dried cherries to change it up a bit. Here's another favorite that is adapted from a recipe for Apricot Chutney. Once again, make a crumb crust, or just serve it with some of the cereal sprinkled over the top for that added crunch. 1/3 c. apricot spreadable fruit (or orange marmalade) 1 cup chopped apple (or just a whole apple or two) 1 T. raisins (this adds a "buttery" taste without adding fat) 1/4 t. salt 1/4 t. allspice (or applepie spice mix or cinnamon) 1 T. cider vinegar Mix all ingredients and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 12-15 minutes. I'm getting to be an expert at making non-crusted pies and we don't miss the crust AT ALL! Grainlady