Sugar pie
Instructions:
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A meal without pie seemed unthinkable to the early Shakers. When the apple bins were empty in the spring they made sugar pie out of the ingredients that were available—butter, sugar, cream. Sugar pies were made in the South, too, except there they used vanilla instead of rosewater, the favorite Shaker flavoring. In New England, the pie was made with maple sugar and called maple sugar pie. In Indiana, a similar pie, made minus the eggs and butter and using vanilla as a flavoring, was called Hoosier cream pie. This is a sweet and rich pie; you will want to serve just a thin wedge. It is excellent with fresh strawberries on the side.
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell;
- 1 unbeaten egg white;
- 1⁄2 cup butter, at room temperature;
- 1 cup light or dark brown sugar or maple sugar;
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour;
- 1 cup heavy cream;
- 3 eggs;
- 1⁄2 teaspoon rosewater or vanilla;
- 1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg.
- Brush the pie shell with the egg white and allow to stand until dry, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 450 F.
- Spread one-third of the butter evenly over the bottom of the pie shell. Sprinkle with one-third of the sugar. Repeat the layers until all the butter and sugar are used, then sprinkle the last layer with flour. Mix the cream with the 3 eggs and rosewater or vanilla, and pour over the ingredients in the pie shell. Dust with nutmeg. Bake at 450 F. for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, until the top is lightly browned and set. Cool and chill completely before serving.