The letters poured in about that pie. Many remembered the pie just as it is in the cookbook, while others included their own versions. Some remembered white sugar pies and wondered if I might have the recipe for that kind.
Charlanne Dixon from Florida was raised in southern Indiana, where white sugar pies are popular. After much experimenting, she wrote, she re-created the sugar pie of her memories. It is a very good pie.
1/2 recipe Never-Fail Pie Crust
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) cold butter
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Grated nutmeg, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 300° F. Roll pie dough out on a floured surface and use to line a 9-inch pie pan. Set aside. Blend the flour, butter, sugar, and salt in a food processor until well combined and smooth, about 5 seconds. Pour into the pie shell. Add the cream and mix gently with your fingers, being careful not to break through the bottom crust.
In a measuring cup, combine the milk and vanilla; pour over the top of the cream mixture, but do not stir in. Sprinkle lavishly with nutmeg. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. (This seems too long, but it does require long baking.) The center of the pie will be bubbly and still a little wiggly. Cool completely at room temperature before cutting.
Makes 6 servings.
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 3/4 cups solid vegetable shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup cold water
In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the shortening and beat until the mixture is crumbly, about 2 minutes. In a small bowl, beat the egg well and add the vinegar and water. Pour over the flour-shortening mixture and beat until well-combined, about 1 minute. Form the dough into 4 balls, wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
To make pastry shells, roll out one of the balls of dough 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured board. Rerolling the pastry on your rolling pin, transfer to the pie tin, gently unrolling it in place over the top of the pan. (This pastry is not fragile, but if it does tear, just press it together again with your fingers.)
Ease the dough into the pan without stretching it, and pat it in firmly so there won't be air pockets. If it is an open-faced pie or if it is to be prebaked, form a decorative rim and trim off the excess with a sharp knife or scissors.
If it is to be a filled pie, add the filling and set aside. Incorporating any leftover dough from the bottom crust, roll out another chilled ball of pastry into a circle and, using a larger pie plate or dinner plate as a pattern, cut around it to form a circle. Place it on top of the filling and crimp the top and bottom crust together. Slash the top so steam can escape and, if desired, sprinkle the top with granulated sugar, about 1 tablespoon. Bake according to the recipe's instructions.
To prepare a baked shell, preheat oven to 425° F. Roll out one chilled ball of pastry as directed above. With a fork, prick the shell all over. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Check it often and, if necessary, prick again to release any bubbles that may be forming. If the crust begins to slip down the sides of the pan, pat it back up with the back of the fork. Cool before filling.
Background by Gini Schmitz, from the Over the Rainbow web site