Question: On a visit to southern Illinois, we stopped at Burton's Cafe in Whittington, Ill., and had their famous White Pie. I would appreciate the recipe for this sweet, puddinglike pie. -- Lynn Seal, Knoxville, Tenn.
Answer: Aunt Gladys is still on the road after more than 25 years of huffing and puffing as a hot shop in Whittington, Ill. -- a university town in the Rend Lake-Carbondale area about 90 minutes southeast of St. Louis. Southern Illinois University's unique Mobile Glassblowing Studio, affectionately known as Aunt Gladys, is a fully equipped facility specifically designed to bring the art and craft of working molten glass to audiences interested in experiencing, firsthand, the techniques and processes related to contemporary glassmaking.Catch up with Aunt Gladys during the Whittington Arts & Crafts Marketplace Art Festival in May, and watch student glass artists demonstrate glass blowing. To emphasize glass blowing as a viable artistic medium, a skilled artisan might swing and spin the blowing iron around his head to create a wavy rim on a flared bowl or dip a molten bubble of glass into cold water to achieve a crizzled effect.
After the glass blowing demonstration, follow Whittington locals to Highway 37 and Burton's Cafe for ham and beans, chicken and dumplings, or catfish and fries -- and a slice of mile-high White Pie. White vanilla and almond extracts lend colorless flavor to a cream filling thickened with cake flour. Egg yolks may lend a tinge of color.
WHITE PIE
Egg whites:
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons sugar
Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon white vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon powdered vanilla)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups Cool Whip whipped topping
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 9-inch baked pastry shell
Place egg whites in large bowl of mixer and beat with 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add 6 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff peaks form and all sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
In saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, flour and salt; gradually stir in milk. Cook, stirring constantly, as mixture thickens. Reduce heat, continue stirring, and cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
Stir small amount hot mixture into yolks; return to hot mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter, white vanilla and almond extracts, and stir to blend. Gradually pour hot pudding over egg whites, gently folding to combine as the hot pudding cooks the egg whites. Cool to room temperature (to prevent a crust from forming, put clear plastic wrap or waxed paper directly on top, touching surface of the hot pudding clear to sides to bowl).
Pour into baked pastry shell. Spread with whipped topping and sprinkle with pecans. Serve immediately or refrigerate. White Pie is best made and served the same day. Yields 1 pie.
Diane Howard is a columnist for Hunt House Syndicate. America a la Carte welcomes recipe requests. Send the complete address of the restaurant along with your name, address and phone number to: America a la Carte, P.O. Box 5994, Austin, TX 78763-5994, or fax: 1-512-453-2145.