Sugar Cream Pie

Since there isn't an "Indiana Kitchen" forum, I'll post this here:

A cashier at Kroger noticed my toque and asked me if I know how to make "sugar cream pie", because her boyfriend had been asking for one. I told her I never heard of it, and as she described what he said it's like, I asked "is it like a chess pie?" and she said she thought that was close. I told her I'd look it up.

Seems it's Amish in origin - may even predate Indiana being made a state. It's an eggless pie (so, maybe a chess pie profile, but definitely not a chess pie) made by stirring butter, sugar and cream together in a pie crust, then baking it until firm, and garnishing with cinnamon and fresh ground nutmeg. Apparently you stir it with your fingers, too. I found some recipes and descriptions here, but I'm interested to know if anyone on the forum's had any experience with it.

Marsha, I'm in Indiana, but I'd never heard of them myself either. Until last week when they showed up in the freezer chests at Aldi's. Haven't tried one because I'm trying to avoid sweets and desserts, but find it interesting that you mentioned them.

Marsha, I'm in Indiana, but I'd never heard of them myself either. Until last week when they showed up in the freezer chests at Aldi's. Haven't tried one because I'm trying to avoid sweets and desserts, but find it interesting that you mentioned them.

Wow, that's wild! Guess I'm gonna have to try to make one - the cosmos is telling us something!

There was an article in Gourmet or something a couple of years ago about a family in Indiana who put on a big spread for holidays and the like, and one of their desserts was, as I recall, the pie you mention, and the article noted it was a regional thing. I'd heard of it before, never paid much attention, and tore the page out to save it, and now of course I don't have a clue where it is. I'll see if I can find it.

I have a huge pie book by Ken Haedrich called Pie, and in his chapter on custard pies he includes several regional pies, including the chess and also the "Indiana Buttermilk pie" which I think may be your cashier's pie and also the pie referred to in that article and which I think noted both its simplicity and the sugar factor. Haedrich's Indiana buttermilk pie calls for a lot of sugar for a basic custard pie (a half cup brown and a half cup granulated). He also includes a regional pie similar to that from Canada, only it's simply "sugar pie" or "tarte au sucre," so I'm thinking it must be a close relative, although there's no cream and a whole lotta maple syrup.

eta: The Indiana buttermilk pie has eggs. And hot on the heels of the Indiana pie, Haedrich includes the "Amish milk pie" which is exactly as you note above, an eggless affair, heavy on the sugar, and a thing you stir with your fingers and generally have to eat with a spoon.

I am from nothern Indiana and we always had sugar cream pie as a child. Actually, we bought it in the frozen pie section at the grocery. The brand name was "Wick's." Although you can find "Wick's" pie crusts at the local Kroger; they don't carry the sugar cream pie.

After a quick google, Wick's has a website and describes their sugar cream pie.

Anything like a Jeff Davis pie?

Marsha, my mom has made sugar cream pies before. Honestly, I don't much care for them because they mostly just taste like, well, sugar. I have a huge sweet tooth too, so it isn't that. I wouldn't say I'm picky about my desserts, I just don't think the flavor has much depth. I also don't care for white chocolate for the same reason.

Marsha, see http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009901090400 for a story on a proposal to make the Sugar Cream Pie "Indiana's state pie".



According to the article, Wick's sells 750,000 of these pies every year. BTW, there were still plenty of WICK'S brand Sugar Cream Pies in the freezer chest at the Jeffersonville Aldi's story on 01/10/2009. The on-line article also included the following recipe:

JEAN ANN'S SUGAR CREAM PIE
Jean Ann Baker, proprietor of Nick's Kitchen in Huntington, shared her sugar cream pie recipe with the Indiana Foodways Alliance:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter
Cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crumble sugars and flour with fingers in a mixing bowl. Add cream and vanilla and blend. Pour into an unbaked pie shell and dot with butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for at least one hour, or until it is bubbly on top to center and still a bit jiggly. Cool on rack before cutting.

Lois

Thanks, Lois - that looks delicious, actually! I'm gonna try the recipe. I'll let you guys know how it comes out.

Sounds and looks a lot like a chess pie.

Sounds and looks a lot like a chess pie.

Yeah, I thought the same - but chess pie's main ingredient is eggs. No eggs in this pie, not in any of the recipes I've seen.

Used to get it at the restaurant in Shaker Village. I wasn't a big fan. It's kind of blah. I bet Marsha could jazz it up a bit though!

Used to get it at the restaurant in Shaker Village. I wasn't a big fan. It's kind of blah. I bet Marsha could jazz it up a bit though!

Seriously? I will say the only kind I have tried is Wick's Sugar Cream Pie, and it has always been one of my favorite pies ever. And I am very pleased to see they have them in Jeffersonville. I will definately go pick up a pie or three.

Sue please don't use my taste buds as any kind of yardstick. My tastes are a bit off kilter. Plus I was always an advocate of my mother's pies and hers tended to not be so sugary. So, aspersions on Sugar Cream Pie, just not what I'm used to.

This was found on "Road Food Digest.com" site...

Sugar Cream Pie: The Official Pie of Indiana?
Posted on January 15, 2009 14:02 by Bruce Bilmes and Sue Boyle
Categories: From The Web | News



The Indiana Foodways Alliance has requested a resolution for the Indiana legislature to declare sugar cream pie the state pie of Indiana. They claim it would help promote Indiana food tourism. An article on the WIBC website also notes that sugar cream pie may have been invented by Quakers from North Carolina who settled in Indiana in the early 1800s. The slice of sugar cream pie pictured above comes from Nick’s Kitchen of Huntington, IN. You can read Michael Stern’s Roadfood.com review of Nick’s here.