Top 4 styles of sugar cream pie recipe you must try!

Post-dinner sweet cravings are a different feeling altogether! You do not want sweet ladles to fill your tastebuds. Rather, all you want is just a slight bite of something sweet. Also, it must not be too heavy. So, what is that perfect dish that could satiate your tongue with just the right amount of sweetness? Check out your inherited family recipe book, and you will find a little note about curating the delicious sugar cream pie recipe. From the traditional sweet condensed milk recipe to the one with eggs, you can customize this per your taste.

Scrolling down this article, you will figure out 4 ways to curate this ideal dessert. Contour Cafe takes you closer to discovering more about this delicacy –

Sugar cream pie recipe you must check out

Did you know that the traditional sugar cream pie was first brought to eastern Indiana back in the 1800s by the North Carolina Quakers? This dish is taken to be Indiana’s unofficial state pie. Though traditionally, it is made with sweetened condensed milk, with time, there have been multiple variations of the same. Here’s taking a look at them –

1. The Traditional Indiana style sugar cream pie recipe

This is for the ones who like to keep it traditional –

Please note: When speaking of cups, you must follow the US-based 250ml format. For tablespoons and teaspoons as well, follow the US – measuring format.

What will you need?

• 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt, pure vanilla extract, and sugar
• 1 cup each of unsalted cold butter (diced into slices), whole milk, heavy cream, and sugar
• 2.5 cups of all-purpose flour (unbleached). Keep another 1/3rd cup of all-purpose flour aside for using it in the pie.
• 1/2 cup of ice water
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter (at room temperature).

How to make it?

When you follow this sugar cream pie recipe, firstly, you will have to –

Make the base

For this, you will have to put in salt, sugar, and flour and whisk it up. You could also use a food processor. Once you have completed the whisking, you will have to add butter to this combination. Again you will have to whisk it – until a coarse structure is formed. Wet this coarse structure with 1/4 cup of water and keep blending it. If the dough is still too dry, you will have to keep adding water (perhaps 1 teaspoon at a time) to make it a little soft.

While doing this, you will have to take a fork and press it on the dough to understand the softness of the same (this will be the base, remember?)

• Do you have plastic wrap in your kitchen? Then divide this dough into half and make two balls from this. Wrap each of them in a plastic wrapper and press them into a disk-like format with your rolling pin. Now to firm its structure, you will have to refrigerate it – for a minimum of 1 hour. If you can spare some time, go up to 24 hours.
• Now it is time to make the pie.

For this, you will have to flour the surface (on which you will keep the dough) and roll out the disk you had refrigerated. Next, you will have to fit the dough into the pie dish and press its corners. Trim the edges, but make sure to let a little of this overhang. Freeze this for 15 minutes.

• You will have to preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and then line down the crust with parchment paper. Press down the parchment as much as possible.
• Start the baking process and continue for 25 minutes. You will see the crust turning golden brown. If it is not completely golden – brown continue with it for another 15 minutes. Let it cool.
• Take another slice of butter and melt it. At the same time, add flour to it and continue the whisking and cooking process (continue for 2-3 minutes). Add the cream, milk, vanilla extract, and sugar and whisk it continuously. Add this mixture to the butter-flour combination and let it simmer for 5 – 7 minutes. Finally, when you see a thickened mixture, you will have to strain it. Once the mixture is set – bake it for 25 minutes. Cool it before serving.

As mentioned before, this is the traditional sugar cream pie recipe that most households looking for an after-meal dessert follow. However, for anyone who is looking for some alternatives, here are some options to check out –

2. How do you whip up a creamy sugar pie?

Are you someone who does not have a taste for milk-based desserts? Then this sugar cream pie recipe with whipping cream sans the milk is just what you can try.

What will you need?

• 1/2 teaspoon each of – salt and vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour. Keep another cup of all-purpose flour for dusting and filling.
• 1 cup of sugar
• 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter (cold and diced into pieces)
• 2 cups of whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter (room temperature and diced into pieces)
• 2 tablespoons of cold vegetable shortening
• 1/8 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
• 1 cup of iced water

How to make it?

To make the crust

To blend the flour and salt, you can either whisk it or even use a food processor. Once the basic level of whisking is done, add the diced butter and vegetable shortening and continue the whisking process. Just make sure that this mixture almost looks like a coarse, thick dough. In fact, when you are blending it, then make sure that the butter pieces are visible.

• As usual, you have to add 1/2 cup of iced water and keep pulsing on the dough until it becomes soft. Keep drizzling water onto it as and when required. Once it is done, wrap it in a plastic sheet, and freeze it for up to 1-hour minimum and upto 24 hours maximum.
• Press the dough into a pie plate, and shape it accordingly. Then fold down the crimps to make it perfect. Now take a fork and pierce it into the bottom of the crust. Again refrigerate it for 30 minutes (check if it’s firm).

To make the filling

For this, you must preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Take sugar, flour, whipping cream, and vanilla extracts and whisk them well. Make sure it has a thick consistency. Pour this mixture into the chilled crust and wrap it with butter. Sprinkle the nutmeg atop it.

For the final baking, transfer this pie into the oven (reduce it now to 350 degrees F) and allow it to bake until the pie turns golden brown. Approximately bake it for close to an hour (50 minutes) and 5 minutes over it if it is still not golden. Cool it, and get ready to serve!

3. What is the Quebec city egg style?

If you are an egg-lover and wish to give a twist to your finger pie, you can always add a couple of eggs to your sugar cream pie recipe. This is a delectable regional specialty that you would not wish to miss!

What will you need?

• 1 teaspoon each of vanilla extract and salt
• 1 cup of pure milk and light whipping cream each
• 2 cups of heavy cream and brown sugar
• 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk separately
• 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 1 unbaked pie crust (usual 9-inches)

How to make it?

• Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Next, you will have to dice and whisk the eggs together. Take the eggs and the egg yolk and whisk them to create a frothy composition. Once it becomes frothy, add vanilla and milk and beat it well. As the composition becomes thicker, you will have to add brown sugar, flour, and salt. Before putting it onto the pie crust, check the thickness of this blending. It must be consistently thick.
• Pour the light whipping cream and heavy cream into separate bowls and whisk them well. Refrigerate them for 1 hour (or until they are chilled). Once chilled, you will have to blend both cream mixtures together.
• For 10 minutes, you will have to bake the pie. After that, lower the temperature to 350 degrees F. You will have to bake this for a maximum of 45 minutes till you find that the center is set (check if it has turned golden brown).

Once it has cooled down, you will have to serve it dipped in the thick cream mixture.

4. Sugar cream pie recipe with evaporated milk?

If you are not a fan of sweetened condensed milk, then preparing this finger pie according to the traditional sugar cream pie recipe can be a bit problematic. So, here’s an alternative recipe with evaporated milk that you may give a try –

What will you need?

• 6 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups of evaporated milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

How to make it?

• For starters – you will have to preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Mix sugar and flour and whisk it well until it becomes a fine mixture.
• Add the butter, milk, vanilla, and salt. Whisk all the constituents and turn them into a thick mixture.
• Once you have blended all the ingredients, cook them until they come to a boil. Check the thickness of this mixture.
• You already have the pie shell. Pour it into the shell and put it for baking. Initially, start it at the preheated temperature, and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue for 30 minutes (till it turns golden brown).

Let the pie cool down, and then serve.

Which one is your go-to style?

Which one of these sugar cream pie recipe alternatives would you like to try? Do you have a trick or two up your sleeve to enhance the taste of this dish? Do share it in the comments section. Also, for more updates, keep checking the Contour Cafe website.