one step closer

Just look at that crust.

No, really. Take a good, long, lustful look at that crust. The glistening, caramel pool of maple custard lapping at its flaky borders. The seductive lack of a single slice of perfect, all-homemade pie.

At last, I have surpassed one more obstacle on the oft-treacherous road to becoming a Great Southern Cook. Not chef. No self-respecting Texas-bred woman would call herself a chef. That’s a word for Yankees and Europeans. But the Great Southern Cook… now that is an elusive title reserved almost exclusively for those with at least five grandchildren. I’m hoping to get there by the time I find my first gray hair. (Overachiever is my middle name.)

And this decadent disc of dessert, a.k.a. maple pie, brought me one step closer. The filling is rich, eggy, and tooth-cracking sweet, the result of a recipe from a tiny yellow book I picked up at a syrup stand during our honeymoon in Vermont. The crust hits much closer to home… my precious Nanny passed along the recipe after my most recent disastrous attempt at an all-homemade pie. Your eyebrows may greet your hairline when you read about mixing milk with Crisco, but the whole thing is just plain tasty and easy as… pie. (Forgive me.)


Maple Pie

2 eggs
2 yolks
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Lightly beat all the eggs in a medium bowl. Whisk in the brown sugar, cream, maple syrup and vanilla. Beat long enough to dissolve the sugar. Pour filling into a pre-baked crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until center is almost firm.


Never-Fail Pie Crust

Stir together 7 tablespoons shortening and 1 teaspoon milk. Boil a bit of water and measure 3 tablespoons, adding to mixture. Add 1 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and roll that baby out on a floured surface. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes.