Sugar Cream Pie - Everyday Annie

We’re just three days from March 14 and you know what that means. Pi Day is almost here! Every year, I have such fun deciding what sort of pie to make to celebrate. Some time over the last year, I came across one of those 15 seconds of social media fame articles about what dessert each state is known for. I had no idea what might be the dessert of Indiana and my mind blanked as I scrolled downward. When I saw it listed as sugar cream pie, I was even more perplexed. I had literally never heard of it before.

As a lifelong Hoosier, clearly I needed to address this pressing issue. Pi Day seemed the perfect opportunity to give it a whirl. Now that I have tried it, I think sugar cream pie is a perfectly midwestern sort of food. It’s very low maintenance, rich and delicious. The filling is extremely simple with just a handful of ingredients and takes only a few minutes to make.

Caroline helped me make it and was fairly disappointed that it didn’t require more measuring and mixing, but we were all happy to taste the finished dessert. The filling is smooth and creamy and the whole thing reminds me of a low key creme brûlée. Plus, what a great name – sugar cream pie. Sounds like a sassy pet name for someone, right? Whatever way you decide to celebrate Pi Day, I hope it is all around wonderful. (Get it?! All around? I kill me.)

Looking for more Pi Day inspiration? Be sure to check the pie category – so many great options to choose from!

Yield 1 9-inch pie

Ingredients

1 recipe basic pie dough

For the filling:

¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
½ tsp. ground cinnamon (plus more for dusting)
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1½ cups heavy cream
1½ cups half and half
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

01
To blind-bake the pie shell, preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Roll pie dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch disc. Place it in a 9-inch pie plate, trimming away the excess and creating decorative edges as desired. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust with the tines of a fork. Line the crust with a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with baking beads. (If you don’t have baking beads, dried beans or rice also work.) Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the baking beads and foil and bake about 5-10 minutes more, until light golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 375˚ F.
02
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Gradually whisk in the heavy cream, then stir in the half and half and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the pre-baked pie shell.
03
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is browned and the center is just set. Dust with additional cinnamon, if desired. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

Source

slightly adapted from Serious Eats