Edwardian custard meringue pie – one of the best historical pies I’ve tried so far! It’s simply heavenly!

Custard meringue pie – also know as Mock Cream Pie, Chess Pie and in Canada as Flapper Pie – is a custard pie flavored with vanilla, bitter almond or lemon and topped with meringue! It’s easy to make and so delicious!

Related: 5+ Victorian Lemon Pie Recipes

The Prairie Custard Pie – An Edwardian Story

‘We did not delay for dinner, as we wanted to reach Little Sand Creek, where there was plenty of water. As this was to be our last night out, I can assure you that we did not lose any time along the way. We reached our camping ground about three in the afternoon. As we were only about eight miles from the home ranch, we turned everything loose, and laid ourselves out to have a general good time.

The cook had been advertising his ability to make custard pie, and we thought this a convenient opportunity to put his ability to the test. Of course, he had to have milk, for there is no substitute for that article in a first-class custard pie. Being that Bill and I fairly doted on custard pie, it was our duty to provide the milk for the occasion.

For the benefit of my readers, let me say that if you have a longing for custard pie, try to throttle it in infancy, or train it so as to render it subject to proper environment, but do not, at any cost, let that hankering exercise its influence on you when you have to invade the rights and privileges of a wild Texas cow, unless you are prepared to fight to a finish. Bill and I felt equal to the occasion and set out to produce the required article.

We chose a cow that seemed to have more milk than her calf required. Bill roped her, threw her down, which was a cruel thing to do to a young mother and hog-tied her. I was on hand with a can. I held her down while he was endeavoring to separate her from her milk. With much labor and some verbal protests against her restlessness, he succeeded in extracting about a pint. […]

In the meantime the cook had uncovered some turkey eggs that he had found a day or so before, and set to work on his masterpiece a custard pie. […]

Our cook was a genius in his line of endeavor. It was a rare thing to meet a cowpuncher who could not turn out biscuits of some degree of edibility, but we had a master hand. […] He used to spread out the wagon sheet for a table cloth, and use mother earth for the table. When everything was ready he called out “Chuck away,” and found us ready and willing to pay a compliment to his endeavors.

When we had demolished the supper, and particularly the custard pie, Bill went down to the creek to wash out a few shirts as he did not wish to return to the ranch with his clothing in an unpresentable condition. While he was gone the cook and I played checkers to see who would wash the dishes.’ (The Indians’ Last Fight, Or, The Dull Knife Raid, 1913, p. 133f.)

Custard Meringue Pie – Edwardian Recipe

Ingredients:

Edwardian Pie Crust

1 cup flour (120 g)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 sticks butter (55 g)
pinch of salt
2 – 3 tbsp cold water

Custard Pie Filling

2 cups milk (475 ml)
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar (100 g)
3 heapening tbsp flour
pinch of salt
small piece of butter
optional: homemade vanilla sugar, homemade bitter almond extract or lemon rind

Meringue Topping

3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar (100 g)

Directions:

Edwardian Pie Crust

‘Chop shortening and flour together with a knife. Have the […] butter cold as possible. When well cut together add water gradually, still cutting, until the whole is in form. Be careful, in adding the water, not to allow the dough to become wet in spots.’ (Three Meals A Day, 1902) Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. And preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

‘A marble slab is much nicer for rolling out pastry than an ordinary bread-board, as it keeps the dough cool and firm. Dough for pie-crust should always be rolled one way, from you. Turn the crust each time, and roll in the same direction until it is the required shape.

Pie without an upper crust should always have a heavy edge; and lay on a narrow strip and pinch together, or cut off the crust somewhat larger than the tin and roll this over with the fingers.’ (Three Meals A Day, 1902)

Line a buttered springform pan with the dough, prick the bottom with a fork and bake for 10 minutes.

Custard Pie Filling

‘Beat sugar, flour and egg yolks together. After the milk has come to a boil add the mixture, salt and butter. After it has cooled, place in baked crust’ (The Manila Cook Book, 1919).