Description
Water pie, a Depression-era delicacy from the United States, offers budget-friendly comfort with simple pantry ingredients. Resourceful home cooks can recreate this nostalgic dessert that stretches limited resources into a sweet, creamy treat you’ll savor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) purified water
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons (75 g) unsalted butter (divided into 5 equal portions)
- 1 9-inch deep-dish pie crust (unbaked)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and position an unbaked pie crust on a robust baking sheet for stable handling.
- Pour purified water into the pie crust with precision, ensuring an even distribution across the base.
- Blend flour and sugar in a mixing bowl, creating a uniform dry mixture that will transform the liquid foundation.
- Sprinkle the flour-sugar combination evenly over the water, maintaining a consistent layer without stirring to preserve the delicate structure.
- Delicately disperse vanilla extract across the surface, infusing subtle aromatic notes into the developing pie.
- Strategically place butter portions atop the mixture, allowing them to create pockets of richness during baking.
- Transfer the pie into the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, watching the crust develop a golden hue.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375°F, protecting crust edges with aluminum foil if browning occurs too quickly, and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven, acknowledging the initially liquid consistency which will solidify during cooling; let pie rest at room temperature before refrigerating to achieve optimal texture and serve thoroughly chilled.
Notes
- Choose high-quality purified water for the cleanest taste and best results in this unique pie.
- Use room temperature butter to ensure even distribution and smooth melting across the pie surface.
- Avoid stirring ingredients after pouring to maintain the distinct layer separation during baking process.
- Protect pie crust edges with aluminum foil if browning occurs too quickly to prevent burning.
- Refrigerating the pie allows it to set perfectly and enhances the custard-like texture.
- Select a deep-dish pie crust for better liquid containment during the baking technique.
- Experiment with different vanilla extracts like Madagascar or Mexican varieties for subtle flavor variations.
- This recipe works wonderfully as a budget-friendly dessert using minimal ingredients.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg