What is Water Pie? What does Water Pie Taste Like?

What is Water Pie?

Classified under pies, water pie can be regarded as a very unique and somewhat peculiar dish that has been traditionally prepared and eaten in the United States during the Great Depression period. Contrary to the name, water pie does not include water as an ingredient at all; referring to a pie with a sweet, custard-like filling made from simple, cheap ingredients. Common ingredients which may be used to prepare the recipe are water, sugar, flour, butter and vanilla with a dash of salt.

The process is fairly simple: it has no lengthy steps of preparation because when you concoct it, you pour it to a pie crust and broil. The end product is somewhat similar to a custard pie but is invariably described as being less heavy and less rich. That is quite customary for any developments of that time demonstrating how even frugal and sparingly in terms of ingredients people tried to be.

Water Pie Recipe:

Here’s a basic recipe for water pie:

Required Ingredients:

• 1 pie dough for the bottom (it could be purchased or made at home)

• For homemade recipes, one and a half cups granulated sugar is expected to be used by any distributor.

• 2 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 cup water

• ¼ cup of butter melted

• Cin cups packed light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking     soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• Optional: 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg or cinnamon for flavoring the meat.

Instructions:

• Preheat Oven: First of all turn on the oven to 425°F (220°C).

• Prepare Pie Crust: Pour your pie crust in a 9 inch pie plate to grow for baking. If you have a purchased crust, then arrange it on the dish and press the edges together. If using homemade, then spread the dough on and pressed it into the dish and pinched the edges as preferred.

• Mix Ingredients: Next, in a medium sized bowl, sieve granulated sugar and flour together. Slowly pour in the amount of water specified into the mixture while whisking until lump-free. Next, mix in the melted butter, the vanilla extract and finally salt. If you’re using nutmeg or cinnamon, add that as well, remember the amount that you need is just a pinch.

• Pour Filling: After that, pour the mixture into the pie crust prepared in advance. It will turn slightly gooey but do not be deceived, it will firm up as it cooks.

• Bake: Bake it in the preheated oven for approximately 40 to 45 minutes, or until you see that the pie is set and the top is ‘’golden brown.’’ They may appear hazy, or have tiny bubbles or cracks on the surface, and that is okay.

• Cool: After that the pie should be allowed to cool before it is served with the waitresses’ recommendation. It will assist the filling to set properly.

• Serve: After it has been allowed to cool; cut and enjoy. It is perfect to be served on its own, or topped with a spoonful of whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar.

Enjoy your water pie! It is a treat that is as historical as it is resourceful and then some more.

Water Pie Great Depression:

Now, water pie is a recipe that was actually cooked during the great depression period. Working people and families were struggling to receive enough ingredients and money during the 1930s, so they incorporated numerous meal ideas as they were able to with what they had. Hence, Water pie came into existence.

Background:

•  Ingredients Scarcity: Meals were a problem, for example eggs and dairy were scarce in most homes and hence recipes incorporated simple, easily availed foods as a rule.

• .Resourcefulness: Thus, all the pies are made out of basic ingredients, using water, sugar, flour and butter to imitate a custard pie without using eggs or milk.

Why It Was Made:

• Cost-Effective: Food issues are evident in the preparation of water pie because the ingredients are inexpensive hence could serve several portions during calamities.

•  Creative Cooking: It goes to prove how the cooks especially in the past have had to be very innovative due to lack of a lot of ingredients. It demonstrates people vice versa applied the recipes to their possibilities within the existing limitations.

• Taste and Texture:  The taste of water pie is not very profound, and mostly sweetish taste while it has a custard like texture. It sat well due to this; it is not as thick as some of the other pies made with heavy ingredients, yet had a fill-you-up satisfaction that was popular in the era due to rationing.

Modern, water pie is prepared for the sake of the vintage or as a reference to the time of the Great Depression to realize how people used every possible way to fulfill their needs.

Hot Water Pie Crust:

Hot water pie crust is a particular kind of pie pastry that has some peculiar characteristics and qualities of easy manipulation. The “hot water” has more to do with the use of boiling water in part of the dough preparation to make the bread softer and crispier. This method may prove handy if you are interested in a pie crust that is relatively soft to handle and has a crunchy feel.

Here’s a straightforward recipe for hot water pie crust:Here’s a straightforward recipe for hot water pie crust:

Required Ingredients:

1. 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2. 1 teaspoon salt

3. 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter with the packings of cup and stick.

4. ¼ cup vegetable shortening, for brushing on top optional for extra layer of flakiness

5. Half cup of boiling water Addition of boiling water to the paste should be done gently as it is hot The amount of boiling water that should be added is ¾ cup

Instructions:

• Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl mix the flour and salt together. If you make use of vegetable shortening then, incorporate the shortening to the flour and combine the two until you get a sandy consistency.

• Cut in Butter: Butter has to be cubed and has to be added to the flour along with some other ingredients. With a pastry cutter or your hands,To make crumbs that resemble coarse sand, cut the butter into the wheat.

• Add Boiling Water: After that, slowly pour the boiling water over the flour mixture. Mix with a fork or wooden spoon until mixture is paste like or dough has formed. The hot water is useful in softening the fat to enable it to have a tender crumble when bitten into.

• Form Dough: Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface popularly referred to as kneading area. Mix it slowly, just until you can gather it together. Do not knead the dough too much so that it becomes tough, in order to get a soft crust.
• Chill: For the top and bottom crust, divide the prepared dough into two equal parts. Flatten each portion into a disc and then cover them with plastic paper. It is recommended that the dough should be put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up before rolling out.

• Roll Out and Use: Once the dough has chilled, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough large enough that it can be laid on the pie dish. For this, transfer your dough to the pie dish, remove any overhanging dough and then pinch the edges. Go on with your pie recipe as normal.

This is a crust that can be used both for sweet and for savory pies and the crust’s advantage is that it doesn’t shrink during the baking process and this is why many pie makers use this one.

What does Water Pie Taste Like?

Water pie has a unique taste that is slightly bland and soft because of the components used in its preparation. Here’s what you can generally expect.

Taste:

• Mildly Sweet: I mentioned that the pie is primarily sweet because of the sugar but it is not too sweet. The sweetness of the demerara sugar is cut by the soy sauce as well as the peanut butter.

• Vanilla Notes: Almond extract can be used, but the one that produces the best result is using vanilla extract because it makes your cookies taste slightly sweet and vanillary.

• Hint of Butter:The melted butter adds a little buttery flavor and depth of flavor in the sauce.

Texture:

• Custard-like: The filling is of a soft and slightly moist consistency, more so a very thin custard or pudding like substance. It’s not as luxurious as custard pies since it does not use eggs and cream like in the usual custard pies
• Light and Slightly Gelatinous: Because the filling uses both flour and water, it leaves the filling with a ‘gooey’ texture and the pie feels or tastes less heavy compared to a custard pie.

Overall Experience:

• Comforting and Simple: The pie is easy to eat and provides a non complicated feel to the dessert choice. It is not loaded with intricacies and depth which in way make it a humble, somewhat sentimental confection.

• Unique but Not Overpowering: While it does not taste enjoyable it is different and quite engaging which is why it could be of interest to people interested in historical baking or who do not want to spend much on a dessert.

Thus, water pie may be consumed with an understanding of the necessity of rationing and historical background rather than a variety of tastes. If one wants something which is warmer, a bit more flavourful, spices can be included or a crumble top can be added.

Conclusion:

Thus, water pie is a unique example of looking at the question of how thrift and imagination work in the culinary sector. The implication of its simplicity highlights how five flavorful items can easily be made to come together to give a feeling of comfort. Though not a gourmet creation, it does give those of us today an idea of how people have had to scrimp in the past in order to get by. Tackled either as a faddist’s invention or as a remix of traditional food practices, water pie sheds light on the various functions cooking serves in the dynamic human reality.