DERBY PIE

The first time I went to the Kentucky Derby, I stayed with some friends in Louisville, sleeping in their attic with a number of other guests in dormitory style. One of our hosts was a dentist and his friend (now we'd call him his partner) was a cook, who became a real estate agent, who became executive director of a local charity, who went on to ...well, you get the picture: Jack was a very versatile guy. I'm not sure about his other professions but he was a great, if very sloppy, cook. Here's his recipe for Derby Pie, a concoction of walnuts and butter and chocolate chips that, despite all the excitement of being in Kentucky for the Derby several times, I remember better than the crowds, the race, the people, the attic, or anything else. With the Derby coming up, it seemed appropriate to share Jack's recipe.

DERBY PIE

makes one 9-10" pie



1/2 C flour

1 C sugar

2 beaten eggs

1 stick butter,  melted and cooled

1 C chocolate chips

1 C English walnuts, chopped into small pieces

1 t vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs and cooled butter until smooth. Add vanilla until well blended. Add chips and walnuts, blending thoroughly.

3. Turn into unbaked 9" pie shell (your own or Pillsbury's) and bake in oven for 35-40 minutes or until done.  Top should be golden brown and crusty, maybe even split, like a loaf of bread.

4. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

To do ahead: After baking, whole pie may be frozen, and kept indefinitely. When preparing to serve, put pie in moderate oven (300-350 degrees) for about 20 minutes. Be careful not to let it burn.