Wednesday, March 31, 2010

1960s Strawberry Cream Pie

I wish Better Homes & Gardens would reprint their 1960s Dessert Cook Book. This old hardback is a gem, and I make family desserts from it all the time. If you want a copy of your own, make sure you’re getting one from the 1960s. It went through several printings, so you should be able to find a copy. But don’t order one from the 1970s, by then they’d dropped their best recipes to support the Jell-O craze and the flood of women heading out into the workforce.

My kitchen was such a mess that day. Obviously it wasn’t just pie that created mass destruction, but I found myself paralyzed by the mountain of dish washing ahead of me. Luckily, Dishboy Scott came to the rescue! Thanks Dishboy, you’re the best, even if you’re just in it for free pie and martinis.

Strawberry Cream Pie



Due to short, unorganized, old time style instructions, failure to read this recipe before starting could possibly result in
frustrated yelling and self hair pulling as you scramble to catch up. I have clumps of missing hair to prove it.

1 9-inch baked pastry shell
½ cup slivered blanched almonds, toasted (Jesse doesn’t like nuts so I left them out, but I bet they’d be great in here.)
1 recipe cream filling (below, make first)
2 ½ cups fresh strawberries
½ cup water
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Few drops red food coloring (This is not needed, tastes bad, and I never use it.)

Cover bottom of cooled pastry shell with nuts. Fill with chilled Cream Filling. Halve two cups of the strawberries. Pile atop filling.

Glaze: Crush remaining ½ cup berries; add water; cook 2 minutes; sieve. Mix sugar and cornstarch: gradually stir in berry juice. Cook, and stir until thick and clear. Tint to desired color with food coloring. Cool slightly; pour over halved strawberries. Keep refrigerated till serving time. Pass whipped cream, if desired.

Cream Filling
(for Strawberry Cream Pie)
Really? I thought it was for Date Pinwheels 30 pages away. Sorry, the sarcasm seems to be oozing out of me today. I think I need a piece of pie.

½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons enriched flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 slightly beaten egg
½ cup heavy cream, whipped
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix first 4 ingredients. Gradually stir in milk. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil; reduce heat and stir until thick. Stir a little of the hot mixture into egg; return to remaining hot mixture. Bring just to boiling, stirring constantly. Cool, then chill. (It will be very gelatinous after chilling.) Beat well; fold in whipped cream and vanilla.

Recipe from p77 of the "Better Homes & Gardens Dessert Cook Book", published 1960. Pictures by Laura Flowers.


58 comments:

Pink Little Cake said...

Hi Laura, these strawberries look so yummy, well the whole pie looks good. I love to see your kitchen mess, like you said, it's very neat compare like mine when I am in baking rush.
I hope you have a wonderful Easter, I can't wait to see all the yummies you are going to make.

VegeCooking Club said...

Oh my gosh Laura, this pie really is gorgeous. If I don't "talk" to you have a great Easter!

alissa {33shadesofgreen} said...

yum, this looks absolutely delicious! I might try this for Easter.

Federica Simoni said...

ciao Laura!!! sono irresistibili!! complimenti!

Ciao Chow Linda said...

Looks scrumptious and I agree about the food coloring. I have that same recipe called "Strawberry Satin Pie" in a BT&G volume 1 Encyclopedia of Cooking -from the early 1970s! Still a winner as your photos attest.

Memória said...

thanks for the suggestion about the cookbook and the warning about reading the recipe first. I want my hair! haha

This pie looks absolutely stunning. I have some strawberries right now!

Levi said...

That strawberrypiescape looks divine!

I don't see any hair in that pie so that is a huge relief - I would have gagged. But I, too often fail to read the full recipe which results in some unfortunate eating adventures or last minute dashes to the store.

Chef E said...

After reading the comments- well I have to stop, laugh, then be glad there is none of my hair in the pie...uh oh, oh me oh my, what a beautiful pie!

Hey if it was not for hubby I would be all work, and no afford to play :)

Chef E

Sue said...

Okay Laura, I am MOST definitely making this for Easter! I have made fresh strawberry pie, but never with cream filling...puts it in another sphere:) You can't really see it, so it's kind of a surprise when you dig in!
(BTW, go back to the giveaway and post a second comment that you are a follower and that will give you two spots, a second chance!) I'm using random.org :) Thanks for your kind comments!

Unknown said...

I just had a pie very similar with the custard on the bottom. I have made the regular fresh strawberry pie I used to get at Bakers Square but that looks good. THanks for sharing.

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Very similar to a French Tart recipe I was perusing recently. I love your additional photos, and now I know you were in my kitchen again... not only did you take a picture of my counters, you captured my cabinets too!

:)
ButterYum
PS - next time, leave me a piece of pie please.

Biren said...

This pie looks gorgeous! Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook has some very good recipes. I use mine all th etime :)

Deana Sidney said...

Oh girl, you made those berries sing... what a great picture and the recipe sounds like fun too! We are all helping out the poor suffering strawberry growers, let's keep those berries in the stores and not in the dump!!

denise fletcher said...

What a gorgeous, summery pie! Lovely pictures :)

Veronica Miller said...

Oh heck yeah! This is a perfect spring and summer dessert. Looks gorgeous and refreshing. I'll have to keep an eye out for one of those 1960 books.

Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction said...

LOVELY pie! I love cookbooks like that. I page through the old Betty Crocker cookbook that my grandmother gave me all the time.

The Cooking Photographer said...

Thanks V! Wow even when I'm copying something I add an incorrect suffix lol! Where have you been my friend?

Anyway, yeah use any nuts you want. Pecans would work well.

Laura

shaz said...

Oh dear, one look at that pie and my drool-glands went into overdrive. I blame you completely if I walk out of the house and realise there is slobber on my collar.

Hvae a great weekend.

Sook said...

Oh wow, that is the most gorgeous strawberry pie I've ever seen! Mmm... I am drooling over here...

Unknown said...

that looks ridiculously good! i haven't made a pie yet, but you got me thinking about what kind of pie to make!
-krissy @ thefoodaddicts.com

Cherine said...

Absolutely stunning. Beautiful and mouth-watering!!

Mr. P said...

It's so shiny. Like a garnet pie!

:)

love lives in the kitchen said...

i'm wordless on front of the picture of the tart... it's so beautiful!
have a great easter time,
justyna

The Cooking Photographer said...

Thank-you for the comments everyone! I love comments.

Laura

Sam (aka Superwoman) said...

sounds divine, think i will put some rose water in the cream!

Velva said...

For free pies and martinis, I would gladly wash your dishes anyday.

Your strawberry pie looks delightful. I love fruit pies and this one hits the spot.

Linn said...

Your pictures are beautiful and inspiring – I could definitely see myself making this pie!

Joyce said...

Your photo is wonderful and I can't wait to make this. I make a very similar version of this and when I saw all those red strawberries in my market this week this recipe popped into my mind to make for Easter. There is never a morsel of this left so I usually make two pies at one time. Then I have to work out twice as hard the rest of the week:)
Joyce

redmenace said...

I will be looking out for this book in the thrift stores. Your pie looks amazing. Really. AMAZING!

La Table De Nana said...

It's gorgeous..I must look in my wedding BH and G recipe book and see if it is there..1973-74:)

Cristie said...

Delicious looking pie! I had to run and check to see what year my Better Homes & Gardens book was printed- rats, the wrong decade. I'll have look around for the "gem". Love to see someone besides me has dishes piled up :)

Poires au Chocolat said...

Oh yum! My mum used to make a wonderful pie a bit like this, I must dig up her recipe.

Anonymous said...

Oooh, that pie looks so beautiful and delicious! I think I may forego baking a birthday cake in favour of this!
Thanks for sharing =).

~Kurious Kitteh

Lisa said...

What a lovely pie! It's absolutely stunning in all its strawberry goodness. Hair pulling and mountains of dishes?? But, it was all so worth it by the looks of this delicious treat. Those berries are speaking to me...

Xiaolu said...

Absolutely mouthwatering pie! I'm so excited about all the fruits and vegetables coming into season now or soon.

Unknown said...

What a fine sounding fate for strawberries. Bookmarking this one, for when the season strikes. Thx!
Molly
http://www.remedialeating.com

M said...

I just made the pie for Easter and it was AMAZING! It was much simpler than I thought and I got rave reviews from my family.

I was a bit worried once my cream filling chilled because it turned into a bizarre gelatinous texture. But I just whipped it a lot and it turned much creamier. Did this happen for you too? Maybe I am using the wrong milk or something?

Thanks for the recipe! I love your pics :)

The Cooking Photographer said...

You did it perfectly. It's very gelatinous after chilling and before beating and folding in whipped cream. I think to hold up all those strawberries.

Laura

M said...

Thanks!

I already have a request to make this again for an upcoming dinner hah

Foodiewife said...

I used to have this cookbook, but it disappeared. I have lamented it for a long time. Thanks so much for posting this recipe, which I've made long ago and now I can make it again. Lovely, lovely-- then again, you are a professional photographer and that's why I love your blog.

The Cooking Photographer said...

Thank-you Debby.

Peggy said...

this sounds so great! i love finding vintage cookbooks and finding the greatest recipes in them! i'll be on the lookout for this one!

Diana's Cocina said...

Gorgeous! Oh, how I would love to have a slice!!

Katrina said...

Mmm, that looks de-lish!

Amy W said...

I'm making this pie right now and your instructions/comments are making me laugh. I love your sarcasm. Hope mine looks as good as your pictures. :)

The Cooking Photographer said...

Hi Amy,

I hope your pie turned out well!

Laura

Jamie said...

I think by now I have successfully stolen every single cookbook from my mom's cupboard including all those publicity recipe pamphlets from the 60's and 70'. I mean, she doesn't cook, does she? And I love the recipes! This is a great pie and now that strawberries are starting to show their pretty little faces at the market... MMMM.

Optimista said...

By "very gelatinous," do you mean "almost as firm as a tapioca ball"? I am partway through making this and my cream filling (before folding in the whipped cream) is pretty dang solid (does not drip off fork, even after being beaten). Should I abort and start over?

The Cooking Photographer said...

Don't start over! I know it's crazy, but that's exactly how it's supposed to be.

Laura

Optimista said...

Thank you so much for responding so quickly! I had to interrupt my pie-making to take someone to the airport, so I can still move forward with my first batch...you've saved me! Thanks again. (This looks marvelous, by the way; the perfect use for the millions of strawberries I picked yesterday!).

Optimista said...

Just wanted to let you know that the pie turned out great! Everyone loved it (including me). Thanks again for your quick response during my panic time! :)

The Cooking Photographer said...

Oh good! I'm so glad. I had the same response too and almost freaked out making it!

Laura

Unknown said...

Does anyone know if it's ok to make this pie a day prior to serving?

The Cooking Photographer said...

Hi Anne,

I think that should be just fine as long as you don't cut into it. The filling is pretty thick and the strawberries are protected by the glaze.

I hope this helps.

Laura

Unknown said...

Ok, thanks for the info, sounds like it will be ok. I'd really rather make it the day of, but not sure how long it will take. I've already got the pie shell baked and cleaned the strawberries. Hmmm.

Unknown said...

I decided to make it the day of, which was today. It turned out great, looked beautiful and tasted fab. The only issue I had was that the filling spreads a bit once you cut the pieces, so they were a bit messy on the plates. Thanks so much Laura for sharing this one. Well worth the effort. I just caught my husband licking his plate.

The Cooking Photographer said...

Anne I am so glad! Thank-you for telling me. I think that you can make it a day ahead next time and it will be fine. I know I make mine at least 12 hours ahead so it firms up, so another 12 hours would likely not hurt it at all.

Thanks again!
Laura

Becky at VintageMixer said...

love the idea of antique pies! My grandma made a Chess Pie that I make every year and think of her :)

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