Sugar cream pie

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Sugar cream pie
Sugar Cream Pie in Indiana - Stierch.jpg
A slice of sugar cream pie
Alternative namesSugar pie, Hoosier pie
Type Pie
Place of origin United States
Region or stateIndiana
Main ingredients Sugar, cream, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg

Sugar cream pie (also known as sugar pie or Hoosier pie) is a custard pie made with a simple filling of cream, sugar and cornstarch. The consensus is that "a true sugar cream pie doesn't include eggs". [1] The pie has been made in Indiana since the state's founding in 1816. [2] It is sometimes called a desperation pie because it is one of the easiest pies to make with ingredients that most people already have in their pantries. [3]

Contents

History

A pre-packaged slice of sugar cream pie in Indianapolis, Indiana. Caplinger's Fresh Catch - November 2023 - Sarah Stierch 07.jpg
A pre-packaged slice of sugar cream pie in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Sugar cream pie is unofficially recognized as the state pie of Indiana, [4] where it is believed to have originated with Quaker settlers who came from North Carolina in the early 19th century, and thereafter settled in East Central Indiana, particularly around the cities of New Castle, Portland, Richmond, and Winchester. As the Shakers had to abandon their community of West Union (Busro) (near modern-day Vincennes, Indiana) in 1827, their only presence in Indiana ever (1810–1827), it is unlikely that they made the dessert popular in the state. [5]

Variations

The only agreed upon aspect of the recipe is that it contains sugar. [6]

There are many different ways of making the filling to create different textures. The texture is both chewy and creamy, with many possible variations. Some recipes begin by whisking butter and flour until the roux becomes shiny and smooth. Sugar and cream are added afterwards, and the filling is heated to a light boil. Sometimes starch and other ingredients are whisked into cold milk and heated in one step. The filling, however it is prepared, is sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg, and baked for a short time at a high temperature, then chilled. [7]

Eggs are sometimes used instead of starch, but this is contentious. [8] Most connoisseurs agree that a true sugar cream pie does not include eggs. [9] [10]

Notes

  1. Mitchell, Dawn. "Things you didn't know about Indiana sugar cream pie (and a cherished recipe)". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  2. "Sugar cream pie a Hoosier tradition". 22 November 2017.
  3. Swiercz, Greg. "Indiana's sweet treat for November is sugar cream pie. Here's a classic recipe". South Bend Tribune.
  4. "State Emblems and Symbols". visitindiana.com. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  5. Stuttgen p. 277
  6. The Best of America's Test Kitchen. America's Test Kitchen. 2018. p. 244.
  7. "Sugar Cream Pie Recipes". 21 August 2015.
  8. "Desperate for Pie". Indiana Historical Society. 2017.
  9. Brosher, Barbara. "Why Is Sugar Cream Pie So Popular In Indiana?". Indiana Public Media.
  10. Sax, Richard (1999). Classic Home Desserts: A Treasury of Heirloom and Contemporary Recipes from Around the World. p. 524.

References

See also