1850s – The recipe appears to have originated in Indiana with the Shaker and/or Amish communities in the 1800s as a great pie recipe to use when the apple bins were empty. You will find somewhat similar pies in the Pennsylvania Dutch County and a few other places in the United States with significant Amish populations. The Shakers believed in eating hearty and healthy food. They definitely must have had a sweet tooth, though, judging by the sugar cream pie.
This pie was also known as finger pie because the filling was sometimes stirred with a finger during the baking process to prevent breaking the bottom crust. People used to skim the thick yellow cream from the top of chilled fresh milk to make this delectable dessert.
The author goes on to say that there are many variations of the sugar cream pie but most are distinguished by their lack of eggs in the filling. I just love a little story with my pie 🙂
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| Hoosier Cream Pie |
- 1 pre-baked Pie Crust (see link in NOTES)
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Mix the cornstarch and sugar together. Pour heavy cream and melted butter into a medium heavy bottom saucepan. Whisk in the cornstarch sugar mixture and cook over medium heat. Whisk constantly to prevent burning and cook until mixture thickens and begins to boil. Cook 1 more minute and remove from heat.
Whisk in vanilla and pour filling into baked pie crust. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of melted butter over top of pie and sprinkle the cinnamon and nutmeg. Place the pie under the broiler and broil until the butter bubbles and surface starts to brown. This won’t take long so don’t walk away!
Cool then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until center is set. Serve and enjoy!
Adapted from a recipe on Tasty Kitchen
Use our Perfect Pie Crust Recipe in 3 easy steps with video tutorial. Click HERE to get the recipe.
Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you had a nice weekend ~ Happy Monday!
(To all you mom’s of school age children that just went back to school – have a lovely day!)
Tricia
Although tasty, this is not sugar cream pie. It tastes like rice pudding. Without the rice. And in a pie shell. Yummy, just not what it says.
I live in Indiana.
I love all of your recipes. Thank you.
Thank you Kay! I hope you have a wonderful holiday season 🙂 Please let me know if you ever have any questions or if I can help in any way!
This recipe might be good but it’s not even close to original sugar cream pie or finger pie as it was called in the early 1800’s because the ingredients were mixed together with your fingers directly in the unbaked pie shell. The only ingredients were flour, cream, sugar and vanilla and did not even need refrigerated, since they didn’t have them.
Thanks April.
I am 80 years old and have been baking a similar pie for many years. Living all of my life in Indiana, this pie is to be seen frequently at church dinners. I use flour in my pies and evaporated milk. I also cook mine in the microwave till thick and then put in the pre baked pie shell. Then it goes under the broiler with butter and nutmeg on top. I just finished baking one today for a birthday supper we are having this evening. I have fixed the whole supper and will take to our youngest daughter’s for the meal.
Hi Sue – thanks for the comment and the information! Great tips – glad you are still able to cook for those you love!
So glad I stumbled upon this.Never heard of and will be baking soon. One of my favorites of a similar nature is buttermilk pie.
What a wonderful recipe. With a cup of tea would make for a very happy afternoon.<br />Have a happy day.<br />:-) Mandy
I love a good story too! Your pie looks wonderful.
Tricia, I love the old, simple recipes best of all. I can say that I don't believe I ever enjoyed any version of this one in the South. I look forward to giving it a try when I get off my 'restrictions'. 😉
I love a little story with my pie as well. Tested Grandma recipes are my favorites.