VINEGAR PIE – It’s Actually Really Good
From the kitchen of Maple Trout Lilli
On this blustery Sunday (wind chill 6 degrees), Maple Trout Lilli stayed cozy in her kitchen. She writes:
Normally I don’t associate vinegar with dessert and it’s for this reason that the following recipe grabbed my attention. From another era when you worked with what was locally available and utilized everything.
I came across this reference to Vinegar Pie in a book I’m reading which spans the mid-1800’s to depression era in Vermont. I did some digging and reworked a recipe I found online to include maple sugar. Why Vinegar?? Because you’re back in the late 1800’s, you’re a pioneer with no access to fresh fruit, you’re resourceful and you’ve exhausted your supply of apples, save a little vinegar in the bottom of the barrel.
I could probably add some other fancy words to this humble title, but I want you all to be intrigued by its name enough to give it a try.
VINEGAR PIE
1 8” pie crust, baked
¼ cup sifted all purpose flour
1 cup maple sugar – divided
1 cup water
3 egg yolks
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoon maple syrup
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 egg whites
4 tablespoons maple sugar
- Preheat Oven to 325
- Mix flour with ½ cup sugar. Add the water gradually and cook on top of a double boiler for 15 minutes, stirring constantly, or until thickened.
- Combine remaining ½ cup sugar with the yolks and salt. Mix well with a whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add hot flour mixture to the yolk mixture gradually, mixing all the time. Return to the double boiler and cook for 3 minutes or more until the mixture is thick and smooth
- Add butter, maple syrup and vinegar. Mix well and remove from heat. Place of piece of waxed paper on top of the custard.
- Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until foamy and gradually add the 3 tablespoons of sugar. Beat until a stiff, flossy peak is achieved.
- Remove wax paper and pour custard filling into the prebaked shell. Top w/meringue. Place in oven and bake until meringue is nice and brown, about 15 minutes.
-MTL