#88 Flapper Pie

My father-in-law loves flapper pie. For father's day I decided to make him a flapper pie. The project began with a quest for a tried and true recipe. During this quest I learned flapper pie is a dessert that was popular with those who lived on the western Canadian prairies many years ago and therefore many younger folk do not really know what it is. It was named after the flapper dresses of the 1920's. Continuing to search on the internet and in old recipe books, I experimented with a few different recipes. After several prototypes and feedback from my volunteer taste testers, I creted my father-in-laws pie using the following recipe.

Ingredients:

CRUST:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• pinch of salt

FILLING:

• 4 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 ¼ cups 2% milk, warmed
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp vanilla

MERENGUE:

• 4 eggs whites 
• ½ tsp cream of tarter
• 2 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. CRUST: Combine graham crumbs with the 1 tbsp sugar, pinch of salt, and ½ cup butter. Reserve ¼ of crust fro topping and press the rest into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake for 10 inures in a 350 degree oven. Cool on a wire wrack.

2. FILLING: Combine 2 egg yolks, cornstarch, and 1/2 cup sugar. Add warm milk slowly and then mix well. Heat slowly over low heat, stirring constantly. When thick, remove from heat and add vanilla and 1 tablespoon of butter. Stir until butter has melted. Then beat mixture with electric beaters until fluffy (You will see air bubbles in filing). Pour over cooled pie shell.

3. MERENGUE:
Beat 4 egg whites. (The extra two egg white will be thrown out or can be saved for a different recipe). Beat until foamy. Add cream of tarter and then beat until stiff. (You will know the mixture is stiff when you turn the bowl upside down and the mixture does not move.) Add 2 tsp of sugar and ¼ tsp of vanilla and stir. Spread over pie filling. Make peaks by repeatedly touching the merengue with a spoon and lifting. Sprinkle remaining crust on top of the merengue. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until merengue has browned on the outside and on the tips of the peaks.