Pennsylvania Dutch Corn Pie

I signed the representation paperwork Tuesday. The agent is now formally my agent. The first manuscript pitch goes out to publishers in early September after the manuscript receives one more round of edits over the summer based on the agent’s editorial notes (which she sent Monday with the contract). The agent and I agreed on a timeline: edits done in August, pitch package finalized end of August, submissions to publishers first week of September, responses across the fall.

Sunday I made Pennsylvania Dutch corn pie because Dustin’s mom had given me the recipe at graduation weekend — an old Bryant-side family recipe that came from his great-aunt Mae who had married into a Pennsylvania Dutch family in 1953 and who had cooked Pennsylvania Dutch food for the rest of her life. Mae passed in 2008. The recipe had been in Dustin’s mom’s recipe binder for fifteen years and she gave it to me alongside Eddie’s party-potatoes recipe at graduation, telling me both were now in my custody.

Pennsylvania Dutch corn pie is a savory pie that lives in the cookbooks of central Pennsylvania farm families — sweet corn baked into a custard-like filling between two crusts, finished with butter and pepper. The dish is structurally a corn-quiche but with a top crust, which is the Pennsylvania-Dutch architectural signature.

The technique: prepare a double-crust pie crust (the same butter-vinegar-water dough I’ve been using for years). Roll out one disk to fit a nine-inch pie plate.

The filling: four cups of fresh sweet corn kernels (cut from about six ears) or four cups of frozen corn thawed. Three large eggs. A cup of whole milk. A half-cup of heavy cream. Two tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Three tablespoons of melted butter. Two teaspoons of sugar. A teaspoon of salt. A half-teaspoon of black pepper. Whisked together until smooth (the corn stays in pieces, not pureéd).

The filling poured into the prepared crust. The second crust rolled out and laid over the top. Crimped at the edges. Three slits cut in the top for steam.

The bake: four-twenty-five for fifteen minutes, then reduced to three-fifty for forty more minutes until the top crust is deep golden and the filling is set. Cool thirty minutes before slicing.

Served warm with extra butter and a generous turn of black pepper. Dustin had two slices. Mae was at the table in spirit.

Double crust, corn-and-egg-and-cream filling, four-twenty-five for fifteen then three-fifty for forty. Here’s the build.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2/3 cup cold butter, cubed
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water
3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup diced celery
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Make the crust. In a large bowl, combine flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut in cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until the dough holds together. Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, letting the edges hang over slightly.
Build the filling. Layer half the corn over the bottom crust, followed by the sliced hard-boiled eggs, onion, bell pepper, and celery. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Add the remaining corn on top. Pour milk evenly over the filling and dot the surface with small pieces of butter.
Top and seal. Roll out the second disc of dough and lay it over the filling. Trim both crusts to a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold and crimp the edges to seal. Cut several small vents in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
Bake. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the vents. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Pennsylvania Dutch Corn Pie