General Robert E. Lee's Orange Pie

 

Orange Pie is one of those old Southern desserts that I love to make around the end of summer and early autumn when the mornings begin to get cooler and the summer heat begins to drop -- though here in South Carolina it pretty much stays in the upper 70s and lower 80s for highs until about mid-November.

Its one of those desserts for that time of year when you're ready to say goodbye to sweltering hot Southern summers, but not quite ready to jump onto the upcoming pumpkin spice craze that comes with the autumn holidays.

Would you believe that none other than General Robert E. Lee was a huge fan of Orange Pie? It was reportedly one of his favorite desserts -- among a couple others -- and his came with a certain recipe that I would like to share with y'all.

I've tried it out and its pretty good. Here's how to make it.

 

Ingredients
 
3 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 cup (2 oz.) white sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 cup orange juice
3 egg whites
6 tablespoons white sugar
1 large orange, sliced into 1/4 inch round halves
1 9-inch unbaked piecrust (graham cracker crust preferred)

Preparation and Cooking Directions

Preheat over to 450 F.

In medium bowl, beat together egg yolks and 1/2 cut sugar until mixture is thick and lemon colored. Add flour, melted butter, melted butter, grated orange rind, and orange juice. Mix thoroughly, then pour into unbaked pie crust.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake an additional 10 minutes until custard is set.

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add 6 tablespoons sugar, continuing to beat until firm stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie covering completely. Return to over for 10 minutes until meringue is golden brown. Garnish with orange slices and serve.

I would also add that a scoop of french vanilla ice cream goes wonderfully with it, as well as a nice glass of sweet iced tea when you're sitting on your porch watching the sunset.

Carl's Southern Sweet Potato Pie

Happy Holiday Season, Y'all!

For many Americans -- especially those folks who live above the Mason-Dixon Line -- no holiday meal is complete without Cranberry Sauce and Pumpkin Pie. I confess a bit of bias as I have never been particular fond of either of those particular desserts. No offense to anyone who actually enjoys them.

Down here in Dixie, we have our own Thanksgiving and Christmas time specialty: Southern Sweet Potato Pie.

Sweet Potato Pie has been a staple of the Southland since colonial times. Even though creamy vegetable pie recipes date back to Medieval Europe particularly Ireland, Sweet Potato Pie became an African cuisine tradition brought to the United States by African slaves who made it using sweet potatoes as an alternative to their traditional yams which were a plant native to Africa.

Sweet Potatoes are often called "yams" though the two are distinctly different botanically. Sweet Potatoes were first cultivated in the Yucatan region of Central American and Venezuela in South America by Native American tribes as early as 5,000 years ago. Probably the first Europeans to taste sweet potatoes were members of Christopher Columbus's expedition in 1492.

Folks here in the South adopted Sweet Potato Pie as an alternative to the Pumpkin Pie often found in other parts of the country. In fact there was a bit of a friendly regional rivalry of sorts in the early 19th century where Southern folks rejected the "Yankee dessert" in favor of Sweet Potato Pie.

These days Pumpkin Pie can be found all across the United States, including the South where we do have our own unique versions of the classic recipe.

Every fall and early winter, I break out a recipe for this particular Southern tradition that my grandmother Carolyn (God rest her soul!) taught me to make -- though I added a couple of small touches to my version of that recipe.

Ingredients

2 pounds Southern Sweet Potatoes (sliced 1/4 inch thick)
1/2 cup (4 oz.) butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup (2 oz.) coconut
3/4 cup (6 oz.) evaporated milk
2 white eggs
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 pinch of salt
2 unbaked 9 inch pie shells

Preparation and Cooking Directions

Place your cut Sweet Potatoes into a pot of water and boil them for 15 to 20 minutes until they are softened. Drain the sweet potatoes and then mash them all.

Next add all of the ingredients and carefully stir them together for a minute until they are thoroughly mixed together. Then carefully spoon the mixture into the two pie shells and smooth the surface evenly. Do not overfill the top of the pies as the mixture will expand as it cooks, then shrink.

Preheat your over to 350 F and place your pies on a cookie sheet, then place them carefully into the oven. Cooking time approximately 50 to 55 minutes until the crust and pie surface is brown. Remove and let them sit for an hour to cool off, then serve.

This recipe makes two pies and it goes good with just about every Thanksgiving and Christmas meal, or for that matter any other large gathering. I hope y'all try it out and enjoy it for yourselves. Let me know what y'all think.

Until next time have a Happy Holiday Season and Y'all come on back now, ya hear!