Fudgy Cinnamon Cashew Pie

This is a real crowd pleaser!

Crust:
2C flour
1tsp salt
2/3C butter or shortening
5-7TBS cold water

In a bowl, add salt to the flour, then cut the butter into the flour with a hand held pastry cutter. The mixture should look crumbly. Add the cold water one TBS at a time using a strong spoon to work it in. Use just enough water to make the dough stick together without it becoming sticky. It should be mold able enough to make into a ball. Dust a flat surface with flour, placing the ball of dough on it. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a large circle about 1/4in thick. (I like to spray my rolling pin with nonstick spray and then dust it with flour, to avoid sticking.)This recipe is large enough to use in a spring form pan, which allows the crust to be taller than a normal pie and laps over the edge of the pan, kind of a deep dish pie. Spray the spring form with nonstick spray, then line it with the crust allowing it to overlap the edges. It will have a very rustic look.

A premade crust or puff pastry from the store is fine, if you are short on time.

Filling:
3/4C corn syrup
1/2C sugar
3TBS butter/softened
4 eggs
1tsp vanilla
1tsp caramel flavor
2tsp cinnamon
1C chocolate chips/or chopped chocolate bars
1 1/2C cashews

In a bowl cream butter and sugar. Then whisk in corn syrup, eggs and flavorings until smooth. Add cinnamon, chocolate chips and cashews. Pour the mixture into a unbaked pie shell. Cook at 325F for about 1hr or until pie is set and the crust is golden brown. To avoid over browning, lightly cover the pie with foil for the first 30min of cooking. When handling the foil, avoid knocking off any of the crust that folds over the pan.

Let cool for 2+ hours on a wire baking rack. Carefully remove the outer ring of the pan in a downward motion, to assure that the overlapping crust does not break off.

Guest Serving Ideas: Leave the pie on the metal bottom of the spring form pan and then place on a cake or pie platter. A pedestaled one is nice. Carefully wrap a 1 to 1 1/2 inch ribbon around the pie, covering up the metal bottom and gently tie it into a bow. If there is room on the platter add a few cinnamon sticks for presentation, or add some chocolates and cashews to the center of the pie.