transparent pie recipe

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In northern Ky. there is an area specialty that the old timers make called transparent pie AKA transparent pudding. We buy it each year at the Simon Kenton festival they have each year in Washington, Ky. It's mainly butter, sugar, eggs, salt and maybe a little milk, but I dont know how much of each. My grandmother is from that part of the country but doesn't remember and cant find the recipe. Does anyone out there know a recipe or know where I might find it? Thanks!

-- Denise (jphammock@msn.com), September 19, 2000

Answers

Hi Denise, found a recipe for transparent pie in my Grandmothers' 1935 Better Homes and Garden Cookbook. It calls for 1/4 cup of red tart jelly, but maybe that could be omitted if you don't think the kind you had, has it in the pie? Anyways, here it is...

Transparent Pie

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 egg

1/4 cup cream

1/4 cup tart red jelly

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream together the sugar and butter; separate the egg, and add the egg yolk and beat smooth, then add the cream, jelly, and vanilla and beat with a rotary egg beater until well blended. Fold in the egg white beaten stiff and pour into a pie crust which has been partially baked in a hot oven. (450 degrees). Reduce the heat to 325 degrees and continue the baking until the center is firm to the touch. Serve cold. This recipe may be doubled for a large pie.

(reckon you could use an electric mixer instead of the egg beater!!!) :)

Also, I think my mother in law might have a recipe for the pie. Will ask her tomorrow and post if she does.

-- Annie (mistletoe@earthlink.net), September 19, 2000.


Hey Denise! Guess what? Found another recipe for the pie. My paternal grandparents were from Louisville and I have a real old insert from the Courier Journal on recipes. Here ya go..

Transparent Pie

3 egg yolks

5 TBL cream

2 TBL butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup white sugar

Make your favorite one-crust pie pastry, fit it into your pie pan and crimp the edges. Have the butter at room temperature and work into the sugar. Add egg yolks and cream. Then flavoring. Pour into the unbaked pie crust and bake in a 375 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the filling is firm and light brown.

Then take the 3 egg whites which accompanied the egg yolks used in the filling and beat into a meringue, using an extra 6 tablespoons of sugar which are added gradually. Spread over the filling and brown lightly in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

( Hope that one of these recipes are what you're looking for!)

-- Annie (mistletoe@earthlink.net), September 19, 2000.


Thanks, Annie! I think the second one is probably it(without the meringue). I'll give it a try and see. They charge 7.50 per pie at the festival. By the time we get one for each person that would want one we have spent a fortune. It would be great if this is it! Thanks again!

-- Denise (jphammock@msn.com), September 20, 2000.

Simon Kenton Festival! Simon Kenton is one of my favorite frontier historical heroes. There is a Simon Kenton Elementary School in Xenia, Ohio.

What goes on at this festival and when is it?

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), September 26, 2000.


The festival is a weekend in Sept. Washington, Ky. also has a Christmas weekend also. It's supposed to be even better than the SKF. I am going to try to go this year.

At SKF they have reenactors, flintlock demos, historic building self tours, antique shops, period foods, and a few small museums, SK general store building is located there. A sample schedule of events can be found at SKF site: http://www.webpub.com/~jhagee/fest-cal.html.

I love Simon Kenton also. Have you ever read The Frontiersman by Alan Eckert. It's all about his life and adventures and the history of Oh. and Can-tuck-ee. His tombstone says "Full of honor, full of years". Brings tears to my eyes!

-- Denise (jphammock@msn.com), September 27, 2000.



Denise

I had transparent pie at a show here in eastern KY.It was like what we grew up calling molassas custard pie ,in S.E.PA.... my gramma's speciality, and much savored favorite at family reunions!. Dark Karo corn syrup is used. I tried making it with sorghum molasses but it was not the same. I also had it at Shaker Village,where it was called chess pie. I have my grandmother's recipe, so if that one doesn't turn out,you can try it. Let me know. Of course, you know, it's not exactly low cal!I grew up in foothills of Applachians in PA, and have found a number of similar old foods, here in eastern KY. Pretty neat!

-- sharon wt (wildflower@ekyol.com), September 28, 2000.


Denise,

Thanks for the website info. Yes, I have read the Frontiersman. I used to live in Xenia, Ohio and a lot of that takes place in that area. Where he describes the Shawnee graveyard is on the same road I used to live. It is a junk yard now. (different kind of graveyard).

A friend of mine got to have her book signed by the author.

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), September 28, 2000.


Transparent pie isn't that hard to make at all. . . I have heard that it was an old slave recipe that made it's way to Kentucky through the underground railroad. . .there isn't that much in it. . . there are a billion recipes but this one is the easiest. Some say add other things, but it depends on what you like. I'm still making my way through trying all the different ways to make it.

I am from Maysville, Kentucky which annexed Washington, KY some years ago and this recipe seems to taste the same as the ones they make out in Washington.

one stick butter 1 1/2 cups sugar 3 eggs well beaten 1 tablespoon vanilla (optional: some say add 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar. . any more makes it taste funny)

melt butter add sugar bring to a boil add mixture to beaten eggs and vanilla mix together well with electric mixer pour into unbaked pie shell bake at 325 degrees 56-60 minutes

-- Waxing Poetic (WaxingPoetic@fuse.net), December 20, 2000.


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