Sugar Cream Pie!

 

 

When I asked for recipes you all would like to see for the holidays, I had a request for this Sugar Cream Pie.  I have to admit, I was a little stumped.  I asked my mother about it and she was also not sure about a recipe for it.  Once we started to research it, I realized why we didn't know right off, this is more of an 'above the Mason Dixon' line pie than a 'below the Mason Dixon line' pie.  Actually, some of the information I found on it referred to it as a 'Hoosier Pie' or said it originated in Indiana or maybe Illinois.  Well, that explained it. 

 

Even though Indiana and Illinois border Kentucky just to the north, from my experience, when you cross that Ohio River, there are definite food differences and even cultural differences.  There are also some similarities, especially with the northern Kentucky area due to some of the same folks settling in those areas.  

 

No one seems to know or agree where the Sugar Cream Pie came from or who brought it to the Indiana area,  some say the Amish, but others say it couldn't have been because it was being made before the Amish came to the area.   This is known as a 'desperation pie' much like the south's Chess Pie is.  It was a pie made out of what you had on hand.  The original Sugar Cream Pie recipe does not have eggs in it, although there are a few recipes you will find that have eggs added.  One of my mother's friends found this recipe in one of her very old cookbooks.  Here is what you will need for this pie:

 

 

1  1/4  cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 pint cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1 9 inch unbaked pie shell

cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling the top

1 Tablespoon butter

 

 

Sift together sugar, flour and salt.  Stir in 1 cup of cream to make a smooth paste, add the remaining cup of cream.  Beat lightly, stir in vanilla.   Pour in the pie shell.  Mix 1 tsp. cinnamon with 2 Tbs. sugar and sprinkle the top of the pie.  Dot with butter.

 

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat and bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes.  The top of the pie will bubble and brown some.

 

COOKING TIP:  Place the pie shell on a cookie sheet before filling.  This pie might boil over slightly and it will catch any boil over.

 

 



Sugar Cream Pie!