Maple custard pie facts for kids
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Maple custard pie is a delicious dessert from the cuisine of New England. This special pie is sweetened only with maple sugar. Each year, maple sugar is made from the sweet sap collected from maple trees in New England. This tradition goes back to the 1700s. Back then, people in New England chose not to buy sugar from other countries. They wanted to support local products and show their independence. Today, maple pie is still a symbol of New England's values, even though it's not as common as it once was.
Why Maple Sugar Became Popular
In the late 1700s, many people in New England were against unfair labor practices. People like William Fox encouraged everyone to stop buying sugar from the West Indies. This was a way to put pressure on those who used unfair labor.
Maple sugar became a great replacement for cane sugar. A smart person named Benjamin Rush wrote about sugar maples in 1788. Soon after, he started a group to help make more sugar from maple trees.
Even Thomas Jefferson, who later became president, supported this idea. He promised to use only maple sugar in his home. In 1790, he wrote that maple sugar could be made with "no other labor than what the women and girls can bestow." He saw it as a blessing to use sugar that didn't rely on unfair labor. Sadly, Jefferson's own maple trees didn't grow well in Virginia. But the idea of using maple sugar spread. The tradition of making maple pie continues to show New England's values of a simple life and economic independence.
How Maple Pie Is Made
Making maple custard pie is a bit like making other custard desserts. A recipe from 1939 shows how it's done. First, maple sugar and milk are gently heated together. This mixture is often warmed in a double boiler.
Next, a little cornstarch is added to the sweetened milk. This helps to thicken it into a thin paste. This warm mixture is then slowly poured over beaten eggs. Everything is cooked together for just about one minute.
Finally, butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt are stirred in. The maple custard is then cooled down. Once cool, it's poured into a pie shell. Maple custard pie is often served with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Some versions of this yummy pie are also baked in an oven.
