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A delicious bite of sugar cream pie, flavored with allspice and cinnamon
An old-fashioned midwestern pie, sugar cream pie is a delicious old-fashioned custard pie. The top gets a beautiful golden brown color as the sugar caramelizes, and the interior is nothing but creamy goodness. You can add a dash of cinnamon, or other spices, or enjoy it as the anything-but-plain sugar cream pie that it is.
I suggest using my gluten free pie crust recipe for this pie, and making it in a deep dish pie dish. My pie crust recipe will provide a delicious buttery base, and deep dish pies are just the best. After all, deep dish means more filling, and filling is the best part!
Speaking of filling, this recipe does make a generous amount, so you really will want to consider that deep dish pie plate.
Sugar cream pie is the unofficial pie of the state of Indiana. I say "unofficial" because the attempt to make it the official state pie of Indiana fizzled in 2009, though visitindiana.com does list it as the official unofficial state pie. I'm not sure what was controversial about the pie that they did not officially crown it. Or was it that they simply thought there were more important things to codify than pie? I was unable to find out why it remains unofficial, just that the bill failed to make it to the desk of the Governor of Indiana.[source]
Sugar cream pie dates back to sometime in the 1800's. It is usually credited to the Shaker or Amish communities, and the oldest known recipe purports to be from 1816.[source] The pie is made with ingredients that people in the 19th century were likely to have in their pantries: milk or cream, sugar, and maybe eggs (the eggs are controversial). Because it only requires basic ingredients - no fresh fruit, or anything expensive - it is classified as a "desperation pie." Its the pie you can make all year long, even if times are tough.
See those little bubbles? This is what your pie should look like when its done.
That said, in the modern day, I'm not sure that butter and cream are so much cheaper than fruit, so your mileage may vary on the "desperation" angle. And it should also go without saying that nobody was making this pie gluten free "back in the day." But no one should have to go without trying a slice of this creamy goodness.
And certainly, you are not going to feel deprived while eating this rich and delicious pie!
This recipe is not very fussy. Mix the custard ingredients together, pour them into the crust, and put in the oven to bake. The pie will gradually start bubbling at the edges, and then the bubbles will move towards the middle until the whole top is bubbling. You need to be patient and wait for the whole pie to bubble, all the way across the top. This takes at least an hour. Impatience leads to a soupy pie.
While you can enjoy the pie straight out of the oven, it is best enjoyed after being chilled in the refrigerator for a few hours. This will help it firm up some more.
(1) Mix together your dry ingredients - sugar, flour, and salt - in a medium sized bowl. Make sure they're well combined.
(2) Add two (2) cups of heavy cream. Mix well.
(3) In another bowl, mix together egg yolks, 1/2 cup of cream, the 1/2 cup of milk, and vanilla extract. Add to original cream and sugar mixture. Again, mix well, but don't beat it! You don't want whipped cream.
(4) Pour the cream mixture into your prepared pie crust. Dot with butter.
(5) Bake for about 1 hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You'll know the pie is done when its bubbling ALL the way across the top. Let it do this for about 10 minutes before taking it out of the oven.
(6) Let the pie cool completely in the fridge for optimal creaminess.
