Dixie Custard Pie

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

Over the weekend I found this incredible cookbook in my local thrift store called The American Woman's Cook Book by Ruth Berolzheimer from 1951. While the book is chock full of recipes of all kinds (some I've never seen or heard of before!), in between the pages were various clippings of recipes from newspapers and magazines. One of these is for Dixie Custard Pie. I have no idea what newspaper it's from or even from what year, but wanted to share it as it's unique. Plus, I'm curious what a cup of 'snowdrift' is, hopefully someone who frequents the Food Forum might know.

 

[donna]

I have that cook book. It was my Grandma's. Lots of wonderful recipes.

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

I have that cook book. It was my Grandma's. Lots of wonderful recipes.

It's a really nice volume both in quality of recipes and overall sturdiness of the book. The color pictures are nice touch given the era.

 

[donna]

Snowdrift is a shortening/cooking oil. It was produced in 1890s by Southern Oil Company. A few years later they became part of Wesson Oil. Thus, the names Snowdrift and Wesson became intertwined. since the beginning.

Snowdrift is mentioned in many older recipes.

 

[donna]

Anna Elizabeth,, I brought my thread on the cookbook back up. I thought I had posted on it.

 

[Malingerer]

Snowdrift is a shortening/cooking oil. It was produced in 1890s by Southern Oil Company. A few years later they became part of Wesson Oil. Thus, the names Snowdrift and Wesson became intertwined. since the beginning.

Snowdrift is mentioned in many older recipes.

So, if I substitute Wesson Cooking Oil I'll be OK?

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

Snowdrift is a shortening/cooking oil. It was produced in 1890s by Southern Oil Company. A few years later they became part of Wesson Oil. Thus, the names Snowdrift and Wesson became intertwined. since the beginning.

Snowdrift is mentioned in many older recipes.

Good to know! I never heard of it till I found this recipe stuck in the book. You really do learn something new every day on CWT!

 

[BelleBlackburn]

Looks good! I love custard.

 

[dlofting]

So, if I substitute Wesson Cooking Oil I'll be OK?

I'd suggest vegetable shortening.

 

[John Winn]

I love custard too. Might have to give that a try. Custard would be new territory for me but that's not far from my quiche recipe so I think failure at custard making is something I'm willing to risk. I've gambled and lost more than that and I'm still upright (well, mostly).

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

This recipe is almost identical to the Egg Custard Pies that my Grandmothers & Great Aunts had perfected before they were fifteen years old.

So good ! . . . their custard pies were on par with their buttermilk biscuits & cornbread.

So, if I substitute Wesson Cooking Oil I'll be OK?

No.

Sorry Malingerer, cooking oil won't work.

Lard . . . or at the very least Crisco is what to use.

 

[ami]

@Anna Elizabeth Henry it looks like we lost the photo in all the hubub yesterday, is there anyway you could reupload it?

 

[nyarb60]

I love custard pie. Sounds good.

 

[Deleted User CS]

Custard Pie is one of my favorite desserts. My grandmother made the best award winning custard pie in the whole county. By the way, the recipe calls for snowdrift or cooking oil, could real lard be used instead of the cooking oil for a flakier and denser crust? Thanks for posting this very delicious recipe. David.

 

[MaryDee]

Snowdrift was a solid vegetable shortening (hydrogenated oil), a competitor to Crisco, rather than a liquid oil. https://culinarylore.com/food-science:what-is-shortening/
It's obvious from the recipe that it's solid, since it is cut into the flour-salt mixture. Lard or butter could be substituted. Since we now know that hydrogenated vegetable shortening is extremely unhealthy, there is no advantage to using products like Crisco or Snowdrift. Might as well enjoy the good stuff, saturated fat and all!