Today’s Recipe: Old-Fashioned Carrot Pie

I don’t know about your storage carrots, but mine are not long for this world. Within the next couple of months, I need to get imaginative. I’d truly NEVER heard of carrot pie. Have you? It was absolutely delicious.

Initially, my DIL tried to use finely grated fresh carrots, but once they cooked in the pie, they shed too much water and we ended up with a soupy mess. Follow the directions below for how to cook them first.

CARROT PIE
PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES PLUS 1 HOUR CHILLING TIME FOR PIE CRUST
COOK TIME: 57-65 MINUTES PLUS 1 HOUR COOLING TIME
MAKES: 2-9” PIES (ABOUT 16 SERVINGS)

Pie Crust
2½  cups flour
1    t sugar
½   t salt
1    cup cold butter
5    tablespoons cold water

Filling
2    cups finely grated and cooked carrots*
1    cup sugar
1    t cinnamon
½   t ground ginger
½   t salt
2    eggs, slightly beaten
3    cups milk

* After finely shredding the carrots, steam them in a double boiler. Gently press them into the bottom of a colander to express excess moisture.

1. To prepare pie crust, combine flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. While stirring mixture, slowly add water until mixture begins to form a ball.
4. Shape into two discs and chill for 1 hour.
5. Once the dough has chilled, preheat oven to 400°F.
6. On a floured surface, roll out each disc and line two 9” pie plates with the dough. Place a layer of foil over the bottom of each crust and then place pie weights or dry beans evenly over the foil to prevent the crust from bubbling or slipping during baking.
7. Bake the pie crusts at 400°F for 12-15 minutes, or until the outer edges start to brown slightly. Remove pie crusts from oven and remove foil and pie weights. Set aside to cool. Keep the oven set to 400°F.
8. To prepare filling, combine carrots, sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, eggs, and milk in a large bowl.
9. Divide filling between the two pre-baked pie crusts, cover edges of pie crust with foil or a pie crust shield to prevent crust from over-browning. Bake at 400°F for 45-50 minutes, or until the center of the pie has set. Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature for 1 hour.

Gather ingredients.

In a large bowl, add 2 cups grated and cooked carrots.

Add 1 cup sugar.

Add 1 t cinnamon.

Add ½ t ground ginger.

Add ½ t salt.

Add 2 slightly beaten eggs.

Add 3 cups milk.

Mix all ingredients together.

Divide filling between the two pre-baked pie crusts.

Bake at 400°F for 45-50 minutes, or until the center of the pie has set. Before baking you may wish to cover the pie crust with foil or a pie crust shield to prevent over-browning.

Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature for 1 hour.

The finishing touch: fresh carrot curls sprinkled with cinnamon.