Cream Pie Recipes

Cream Pies

Pies are ancient treats with a history spanning centuries, though the modern cream pie is far more recent. Early pies were often comprised of savory meats and spices, and the crusts were rarely eaten. Instead, they were simply used to preserve the filling’s flavor and moistness. Cream pies, on the other hand, do not use a top crust and are composed of cream or a soft, smooth filling (pudding and custard are favorite choices) in a variety of flavors, including chocolate, vanilla, coconut, banana, and other fruits.

Cream pies are a familiar sight at circuses and comedy events, and they often take center stage when targeted upon unsuspecting participants. The softness of the pie and the delightful tendency to splatter make cream pies perfect desserts as well as suitable missiles for messy laughs.

Cream Pie Tips

Cream pies can be either simple or complex to create. The simplest versions require no more than a handful of ingredients and do not need to be cooked, while more elaborate cream pies may require baking or extravagant garnishes. Graham cracker crusts are favored for many cream pies because they do not need to be baked, though if the crust is exceptionally fragile consider adding a thin layer of melted chocolate or vanilla candy coating to it for greater stability. Take care not to bake a cream or custard pie too long – it will develop cracks, separate from the crust, and become irreversibly dry. Pies that contain eggs should always be stored in the refrigerator, though homemade cream pies do not tend to freeze well. The ice crystals that form during freezing add too much moisture to the pie when it is thawed, making it too soft to hold its shape when cut and served.