Grandma Nissleys Crumb Pie Recipes

GRANDMA'S CUSTARD CRUMB PIE

Steps:

• Crust and Topping: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Toss the crumbs with the margarine and cinnamon. Press all but 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch (23 cm), deep-dish pie plate. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Reserve the crust and extra crumbs.
• Custard: Stir the sugar with the cornstarch in a medium saucepan; whisk in the milk until smooth. Set the pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat. Stir a little of the hot milk mixture into the liquid eggs; whisk the eggs back into the remaining milk mixture.
• Return to the heat; cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until very thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the margarine and vanilla. Pour into the prepared crust; cool to room temperature.
• Meringue: Beat the egg whites with the cream of tarter until foamy. Beating constantly on high, gradually add the sugar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Dollop islands of the meringue over the filling (leaving gaps). Sprinkle evenly with reserved crumbs. Bake for 10 minutes or until meringue is golden.
• Cool slightly then chill for at least 4 hours or for up to 2 days.
• TIPS
• Substitute dark brown sugar for the granulated sugar to make a butterscotch-flavoured custard.

GRANDMA NISSLEY'S SHOO-FLY PIE

Steps:

• First line pie plates with pastry as you would for a custard. (Recipe makes four medium-size pies.) Mix baking soda and molasses, and let work while you make the crumbs of the flour, sugar and lard. When the molasses/soda is ready, add 1-3/4 cups boiling water to the molasses, mixing well and pouring into pie plates. Sprinkle crumb mixture on top of the liquid and bake. This makes the pies nice and moist on the bottom -- not so dry.

GRANDMA NISSLEY'S CRUMB PIE

Steps:

• Crumb flour, sugar and butter. Reserve 1/2 cup of crumbs for top of pie. Mix milk, egg and soda together, and stir into crumbs. Beat thoroughly. Put in pie pan and sprinkle reserved crumbs on top. Bake in moderate oven (325-degrees for 1/2 hour). Makes two small pies.