Club: BAKED: Sawdust Pie

This week's Club: BAKED installment is hosted by Tessa at The Cookin' Chemist. Check out Tessa's blog for the recipe and to check out her creation.


I love butter. I love to bake with butter. This recipe has no butter. Huh? Where's the butter? I'm typing this as the Sawdust Pie bakes in the oven, and all I can think about is how is this going to taste with no butter? I guess the pecans, white chocolate, and coconut contribute oil. But seriously, where's the butter?

The rustic collection of ingredients reminds me of something I would have made at Girl Scout Camp. Mix in nuts, sugar, crushed graham crackers, coconut, add the egg whites, toss in the oven. Younger Joan would have insisted on milk chocolate, but Older Joan is grateful for its omission.

I used sweetened coconut flakes because it was the only option available at the Cosentino's market across from my office. I was going to skip on the Simple Whipped Cream and banana slices, but decided this simple pie needed a few accessories.

I enjoyed making the whipped cream, but I gotta ask: did anyone else resort to using a mixer? I broke down after 2-3 minutes. The whisk was working, but my hand mixer really made the whipped cream come together.

I'm not a huge pie fan. Come to think of it, I'm solidly on team cake. If I do select pie, then I prefer a smoother, creamier pie. I do understand this pie's charms. I'm going to re-name it Granola Pie because it reminded me of a nutty granola bar. This pie would be an awesome addition to Thanksgiving.