Depression Era Pie

 

I had to try this pie. It seemed fitting this year. I was fascinated by the shortages that we have had because of the pandemic and how they compared to the shortages people had during the depression. 

At the beginning of the pandemic/beginning of shutdown, bread, flour, sugar, eggs, milk, toilet paper, paper towels, tissue, sanitizing wipes, and many cleaners disappeared from the shelves.

During the Great Depression, people really had to make things stretch. Casseroles and soups were a way to stretch protein and vegetables to fill hungry stomachs. People still had a sweet tooth, and desserts were also often simplified to make a few simple ingredients go a long way. This pie is one of those recipes.

I actually thought it was very good. It was a lot like a custard pie...without the egg and milk. I think you will like it too! Heads up though, it is very sweet, so a little is enough to take care of your sweet tooth fix.

Water Pie

Ingredients:

1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie crust, unbaked
1 1/2 cups water
4 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
5 tbsp butter, cut into five pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and set empty pie crust on a baking sheet.

Pour 1 1/2 cups water into the pie crust.

In a small bowl, stir together flour and sugar. Sprinkle evenly over water in crust. Don't stir.

Drizzle vanilla over water in pie crust. Place pats of butter on top of this.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and cover sides of crust, if needed, to prevent burning. Continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.

The pie will be watery when you pull it out of the oven, but will set as it cools. Allow to cool completely and then cover and place in the refrigerator to completely chill before cutting.

Source: Southern Plate. You can find it here.