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Peanut pie

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Peanut pie close-up

Peanut pie, is a pie that is part of the cuisine of the Southern United States, in the Tidewater region, where peanuts are a common crop.[1]

Origins

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The peanut's origins have been traced to Peru.[citation needed] It was brought to Europe by the Spanish,[2] and then spread to Africa and Asia.[citation needed] It arrived in North America in the 18th century with African slaves.[2] Peanut pie was originally considered slave food,[2] but by the 1940s peanuts were widely consumed, and an advertisement for corn syrup (used to make the sweet, sticky pie filling) claimed that peanut pies could “make even your deepest-dyed Yankee start complimenting you with a southern accent.”[1] It is sometimes called the "poor man's pecan pie".[citation needed] The pie was popular in Virginia and North Carolina.[1] In North Carolina it was a standard dish to serve at family reunions or church events.[3] It can be served as a kosher dessert.[4]

First lady Rosalynn Carter was known for her peanut meringue pie.[5] Chef Barry Maiden popularized a version of his grandmother's pecan pie at his Massachusetts restaurant Hungry Mother, creating what he called the Spicy Peanut Pie.[6]

Preparation

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The sweet filling is made from corn syrup, sugar and eggs, similar to how pecan pie filling is prepared.[7] Molasses, sorghum, pure cane syrup or maple syrup are sometimes used in place of corn syrup.[8] Some recipes include heavy cream or cream cheese in the filling,[9] while others may include chocolate,[10] cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg or bourbon.[1][11] The finished pie is served warm and may be topped with whipped cream, a dessert sauce or served à la Mode.[7][12] It can be made as individual mini-pies and frozen.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Peanut Pie". Atlas Obscura.
  2. ^ a b c Bradford, Ben (28 July 2020). "African Crops and Slave Cuisine". Shwen Shwen. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b Edelman, F.A. (2009). Sweet Carolina: Favorite Desserts and Candies from the Old North State. University of North Carolina Press. pp. 136–137. ISBN 978-0-8078-9849-9.
  4. ^ "Chocolate Chip Peanut Pie". chabad.org.
  5. ^ Smith, Andrew F. (2002). Peanuts: The Illustrious History of the Goober Pea. University of Illinois Press. p. 109. ISBN 978-0-252-02553-2.
  6. ^ McDermott, Nancie (September 2010). Southern Pies: A Gracious Plenty of Pie Recipes, From Lemon Chess to Chocolate Pecan. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0-8118-6992-8.
  7. ^ a b Haedrich, K. (2004). Pie: 300 Tried-and-True Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pie. Non Series. Harvard Common Press. pp. 346–347. ISBN 978-1-55832-254-7.
  8. ^ McDermott, N.; Beisch, L. (2010). Southern Pies: A Gracious Plenty of Pie Recipes, From Lemon Chess to Chocolate Pecan. Chronicle Books. p. pt70–72. ISBN 978-0-8118-6992-8.
  9. ^ "Peanut Butter Pie". New York Times.
  10. ^ Blok, Celestina (June 3, 2015). "An adventure at Primland mountain resort". star-telegram. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  11. ^ De Gouy, Louis P. (1949). The Pie Book: Over 400 Classic Recipes. Courier Dover. p. 197. ISBN 978-0-486-83033-9.
  12. ^ Stern, J.; Stern, M. (2009). 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late: And the Very Best Places to Eat Them. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 185. ISBN 978-0-547-05907-5.