I'm sharing this week's recipe today just in case it's something you may want to prepare as a Valentine's Day dessert. Have you ever eaten sunflower pie? We never even heard of it until we were watching State Plate. We view very little television, but this is on our (short) list of shows. If you're not familiar with it, you may want to check out the 30 minute program on Inspiration channel. It runs on Friday nights, but we record it to see at our convenience. Host Taylor Hicks visits a different state each time and creates a meal made of foods indigenous to that region. Additionally, he visits with locals as he teaches about those dishes. On Friday, he took us to North Dakota which happens to be the number one growing spot for sunflowers. Those flowers provide the main ingredient for this sweet treat, which is actually a pecan pie with smaller nuts. I came across a recipe online through Midwest Living magazine's site and I did tweak it just a bit.
Sunflower Pie
3 eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
3 T butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup roasted, salted sunflower kernels
pie crust (I pricked mine and baked it for just a few minutes in a 350 degree oven before using)
*Beat together eggs, sugar, corn syrup, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl.
*Spread sunflower seeds in the bottom of pie crust.
*Pour mixture over top and allow pie to sit for a few minutes before baking. You will see the sunflower seeds come to the surface.
*Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. Center should be set, but will still jiggle.
*Cool and then store in refrigerator.
For a printable copy of this recipe, click here.
We really like this! A very close cousin to the pecan pie, it definitely has a nutty flavor to complement the sweet filling.
May your day be as sweet as pie and as bright as sunflowers! 🌻🌻🌻