Date Pecan Pie

Adjust oven rack 1/3 up from the bottom of the oven; preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have prebaked pie shell ready. With kitchen shears or knife, cut each date into 6 pieces; set aside. Melt butter. In the small bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs for a minute or 2 until they are very foamy. Add sugar, flour, salt and vanilla. Beat to mix well. Beat in melted butter (either warm or cooled) and corn syrup. Remove bowl from the mixer; stir in the dates. Using a slotted spoon, remove the dates from the mixture, letting most but not all the liquids run off them. Place the dates in an even layer in the prebaked pie shell. Reserve the liquids. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the dates. Slowly pour the reserved liquids over the nuts. Use strips of foil to shield the fluted edge of the prebaked pastry shell. Bake for 45 minutes, removing the foil strips the last 5 minutes. The pie will be well-browned, although the center will still be shaky and soft. Do not bake longer; the center will become firm as it cools and still firmer when it is refrigerated. Let cool on a rack and then refrigerate for a few hours. If you do not have time for that, place the pie in the freezer for 30 minutes. Get it really cold, or the filling might be a little too runny and not so chewy (although it will still taste fabulous). Use a strong, heavy, sharp knife for cutting the pie. If the pie resists the knife and feels tough, that means it is just right and will feel perfect in your mouth. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. Yield: 8 to 10 servings. Note: To make deluxe Indio whipped cream, named for Indio, Calif., where date palms grow: Combine 2 cups whipping cream, 3 tablespoons real maple syrup or honey and 3 tablespoons rum or bourbon in a chilled bowl. With chilled beaters, whip the ingredients only until the cream holds a soft shape. Even ordinary pecan pie is quick to make and a favorite for Thanksgiving. A good recipe is on the label of every Karo bottle. This version adds sliced dates. The result is an incredibly chewy pie beneath the crunchy pecans. Recipe Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - 11-16-1998 By Joyce Rosencrans Formatted for MasterCook by Susan Wolfe - swolfe1@prodigy.net