Egg Custard Pie only requires one mixing bowl and makes its own crust. This post was originally published April 20, 2011. I updated the photos and made a minor adjustment to the recipe.
In the mid to late 1960’s, my grandparents were finally able to afford a washing machine. That simplified their lives to some degree because it meant no more lugging everything and everybody to the laundromat, however, it presented another set of challenge. Washday had to be scheduled around the weather.
They couldn’t afford the dryer to go along with the washer, so the clothes were solar dried.
On this particular day, we were up bright and early to start the wash and get it hung out because, “it looks like we might have a cloud comin’ up”. The first load out of the washer was plopped into a big green plastic clothes basket.
Granny grabbed her apron that held her stash of wooden clothes pins, tied on the apron and we both lugged the basket of clothes to the backyard clothes line. As she picked through the basket of clothes to give me the “easy” ones to hang out, she told me to reach in the apron, grab a handful of the wooden clothes and pin them on my clothes making it easier for me to have access to them.
My bundle of wet clothes to hang consisted of handkerchiefs, undershirts and socks. As I struggled trying to manage the wet clothes and keep them off the ground and on the clothesline, I noticed that she moved deftly and swiftly, not missing a beat.
Her clothes were perfectly straight with similar types sorted and hanging together. Meanwhile, I manage to get three handkerchiefs and two pairs of socks up during the time she got the rest of the clothes hung up.
I don’t know what it is about seeing clothes flapping in the wind hanging on a clothesline but something about the sight of it appeals to me. Clothesline are not allowed in most neighborhoods. Some consider a clothesline tacky.
It’s not the clothesline itself that I love to see, it’s the clothes swaying back and forth in the breeze. Especially white clothes. They almost glisten in the sun.
Nothing smells better to me than bed linens that have been line dried. Snuggle up in bed, take a big whiff of that clean fresh scent and your mind is cleared and ready for sleep. It’s like a magic potion.
With the last load out of the washer, we are almost finished getting the clothes on the line. There’s not any evidence of imminent rainy weather and it appears the timing was perfect.
Granny says, “Let go in and get our dinner started. I’ve got a new pie recipe I want you to try to make fer us.”
Dinner to her meant the noon meal. This is a holdover from times when farmers needed their largest meal in the middle of the day to carry them through the very long and tiring workday.
We entered the back door to the kitchen, she opened a drawer and handed me a piece of paper written in someone else’s handwriting that said:
Blender Custard Pie
4 eggs
1/2 c. flour
2 c. sweet milk
sugar
1/2 c. butter
vanilla flavor
Blend in blender. Pour into pie pan.
She gleefully explained to me that you don’t even need a pie crust or a mixer to make this pie. And you don’t mess up a bowl because you put everything right in the blender.
Glancing at the recipe I saw only a few ingredients and a few words and thought the pie must be really simple. She set about her little kitchen gathering ingredients and implements for me.
I sat down at the black and white enamel table in front of the pie safe that held the remnants from breakfast, bacon and biscuits, and maybe some cornbread from last nights’ supper. She instructed me to reach in the safe and get me something to eat because she knew I must be hungry.
She was right! A cold biscuit and bacon hit the spot. As she placed a pot of Southern peas on to cook, I started measuring ingredients for this magic pie. Eggs, flour and milk were measured directly in the blender.
Next is sugar. Ummmm. There’s no amount. “Granny”, I asked, “how much sugar do I need to use?” She answered, “Well, shug, it’s just owin’ to how sweet ya want it. I usually put in about a cup and a half, maybe a tad bit more.”
With a cup and half of sugar measured and poured in the blender, I next unwrapped a stick of butter, 1/2 cup, and threw the stick into the blender with the rest of the ingredients. She scowled.
“What did I do wrong?”, I asked.
She replied,”You’ve got to melt that butter.”
Looking back at the recipe three more times, I still didn’t see a word about melting the butter. And the stick of butter was swimming around in the blender with eggs,milk and sugar. Nothing else to do but to fish it out, melt it in a pan on the stove in the absence of a microwave and let it gain re-entry into the blender.
The next ingredient said, “vanilla flavor”. Oh, brother! As if she could read my mind, I heard, “Just put cha a capful of vanilla in it.”
All ingredients of the magic pie are now present and accounted for. The blender whirls until everything is consolidated. I carefully pour the mixture into a deep dish pie pan and place it in a 375 degree preheated oven for………how many minutes? Good grief!
Responding to my question, “How long do we bake it?”, she said, “You just have to know when it’s done.”
And I thought this was going to be easy.
The pie finished baking in about 55 minutes. It was a perfect finish to our meal of salmon patties, peas and cornbread.
I’ve made Granny’s magic pie many, many times since that day. Having a granddaughter of my own now, it will be a happy day when I can teach her to bake the magic pie.
I won’t hold out on the ingredient amounts, either. My Granny wasn’t doing that to be mean and hard to get along with. That was the way she cooked and the way she taught me to cook. She just reckoned you had enough sense to know basic things and didn’t see the need to tell you something you already knew.
So, when Ella gets in the kitchen with me, I will have the recipe written on her own special recipe card that she can keep forever and ever.
On second thought, I’m passing down the recipe card that I have right now that has yellowed and shows food stains. I think that will mean more to her.
Gosh, I wish I had a clothesline.
Y’all come see us.
Egg Custard Pie
While Granny delighted in mixing this in the blender, I use my 40 plus year old avocado green hand mixer. I also mess up a mixing bowl. Only one bowl, though! This is a simple basic little custard pie that would never win a beauty contest but has such a comforting flavor. It’s meant to look rustic because that’s what it is. I will give you the complete recipe. I swapped out milk for half and half for an extra creamy filling. Be sure to use a deep dish pie pan.
4 eggs
1/2 cup self rising flour
2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and divided
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
Mix. Pour. Bake.
Coat a deep dish pie pan with oil or butter. You’ve got a whole stick of butter in this recipe. You can spare some. The only deep dish pie plate I have happens to be an apple pie one. (*note: I now have a solid white deep dish pie pan)
Add eggs before you add anything else. No need to put eggs in a separate dish first and mess up that dish. You can see if you have egg shells. If you do, take them out.
Everything else goes in. I’m not so sure the butter has to be melted. I think you could dice it up and it would work just fine. I haven’t tested that out yet. Mix all ingredients well.
Pour into a pie pan. See the bubbles in the upper right hand corner? We want to get rid of those by rapping gently, ah say gently, on the counter.
See, no more bubbles.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 55 minutes. The middle of the pie will start to spit and sputter and the pie juggles but doesn’t slosh when move it. It sets better if you chill it thoroughly before slicing. Got any clothes you need hang out on the line?
Egg Custard Pie. A favorite memory of my Granny was hanging clothes on the line with her and then coming into the kitchen for her to teach me how to make this special magic pie.
Egg Custard Pie
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup self rising flour
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
Instructions
- Coat a deep dish pie pan with oil or butter. You’ve got a whole stick of butter in this recipe. You can spare some.
- Add eggs before you add anything else. No need to put eggs in a separate dish first and mess up that dish. You can see if you have egg shells. If you do, take them out.
- Everything else goes in. I’m not so sure the butter has to be melted. I think you could dice it up and it would work just fine. I haven’t tested that out yet. Mix all ingredients together.
- Pour into a pie pan. Gently tap on the counter to get rid of air bubbles. If you're using a glass pie pan and tapping on a granite counter, be vewwy, vewwy caweful.
- Bake at 375 degrees for about 55 minutes. The middle of the pie will start to spit and sputter and the pie juggles but doesn’t slosh when move it. It sets better if you chill it thoroughly before slicing.
Check out these pie recipes:
Peach Pie
Emily Blount says
Our growing up years have a lot in common…I relieved many memories reading about the clothes line and the cloud comin up! My mother was always the first lady in the neighborhood to get her clothes in the early morning on the line to dry. She would go to work her 40 hour week at a retail store downtown. My brother and I were responsible for getting the clothes in before a rain cloud cloud came up….If we allowed the clothes to get wet, we got a whippin! She washed every single day…it was necessary to keep clean clothes for a family of eight. Also, I remember my mother and grandmother giving me directions for baking…handful of this , a smiggen of that, just a pinch is all you need . etc. We look back now and know how grand life was back in the good old days.
Jackie Garvin says
Thank you for sharing your sweet memories!
carol ozero says
Thi
Angela Gasperini says
Hi would really love to make this , but what do you mean by Half and half of what? I’m in Australia so not sure of that termanology.
Jackie Garvin says
Angela,
Half and half is a dairy product that’s half milk and half cream. You can substitute whole milk or cream.
Mary Catherine says
Made this today. My husband loved it. Just a few things I added was coconut flakes n some orange zest. Only one thing I would do for my family is to use a little less sugar
Jackie Garvin says
Great tips!
Kathy Moedjio says
Loved your recipe of egg pie making it’s own crust. I shed happy tears while making this..my mama made them a lot. Thanks so much! Brought back many sweet memories.
Jackie Garvin says
It’s one of my favorite pies and favorite memories.
Pam Lewallen says
My husband loves egg custard pie. I always struggled pouring the custard mixture into the pie crust and always ended up spilling it on my oven. This is the easiest and best recipe I’ve ever tried. Thank you so much!
Jackie Garvin says
So glad you enjoyed it. ❤️
Harriet says
Other similar recipes use all purpose flour. What different results do you obtain from self-rising flour (something I never use)? Looks absolutely hand slappin’ (if someone else wants a slice)!
Jackie Garvin says
I’ve never used AP flour in this recipe but I think the pie might be a little more dense.
Janice Gowens says
Harriet, I never have or use self-rising flour (a little surprised Jackie’s grandmother had it) or unsalted butter. My mother made our butter and it was always salted and she added baking soda, salt & baking powder to 25 lbs of all purpose flour as she used it.
Harriet Cook says
Thank you!
Mathias says
Substitute one shy teaspoon of real dtebia , perfect
Mayy
Rebecca says
This sounds delicious! I was wondering if you could substitute buttermilk in place of the half and half. My mother made wonderful buttermilk pies while growing up. Thanks!
Jackie Garvin says
That sounds like a great idea!
Leigh Ann Dotson says
Easy , delicious, and I loved the grandma story behind it! Everyone at church enjoyed it!
Benita Chapman says
I make this same pie as my mother taught me. We love it and hardly anyone I know makes it. Thanks for taking me back to some wonderful memories! I’m making it tomorrow for Thanksgiving!