The COVID-19 pandemic has given many of us a chance to hone in on our baking and cooking skills. While you’re channeling your inner Martha Stewart, bring some of Indiana’s incredible culinary heritage to your home by trying a hand at this sugar cream pie recipe! When the time is right, you can then indulge in pie heaven by taking a foodie road trip on the Indiana Foodways Alliance “Hoosier Pie” Trail. For information about Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb’s roadmap to safely reopen Indiana, click here.
While there is no one set origin of Indiana’s unofficial pie, the dish is said to have been popularized by the Amish and Shaker communities in Indiana during the 19th century when they were running low on supplies. It was known as “Desperation Pie” because its ingredients could be found in almost any pantry, making it easy to make at any time throughout the year.
With a family recipe that dates back to their family farm in the 1800s, Wick’s Pies in Winchester began to popularize sugar cream pie in the mid-1900s commercially. Starting out delivering the pies in a 1934 Buick Sedan, Duane Wickersham quickly outgrew his capacity and had to purchase a new manufacturing facility in the 1960s. Wick’s Pies now produces thousands of pies every single day using the same ingredients his family did two centuries ago. You can purchase cases of their amazing sugar cream pie online here.
Many restaurants and bakeries throughout Indiana have perfected the “Hoosier Pie.” Can you do the same?
Created by: Indiana Foodways Alliance
Ingredients for the crust:
1 3/4 cups of flour
1/2 tsp of salt
1/3 cup of butter
2/3 cup of vegetable shortening
1/4 cup of water
1 tsp vanilla
Directions for the crust:
Ingredients for the filling:
1 cup of sugar
¼ cup of cornstarch
2¼ cup of milk
1 stick of margarine (you can also substitute with butter)
1 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp of nutmeg
Directions for the filling:
Substitutes: Butter for margarine and half & half for milk.
Tip: If you don’t want to make a pie crust from scratch, Wick’s Pies crusts are available in a store near you. Click here to find the closest available retailer.
Now, it’s time to start baking! Take this recipe and enjoy a little bit of Indiana history from the comfort of your own home. When the time is right, head out and support the small businesses around Indiana who have flawlessly recreated their version of the sugar cream pie.
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This blog reflects the opinions of those writing and commenting and not necessarily the view opinions or endorsements of the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Indiana.
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