Makeshift Egg Custard Pie

I checked out My Mother's Southern Kitchen, Recipes and Reminiscences by James Villas and Marthal Pearl Villas, and found a recipe for Custard Pie--something Ric's been wanting to try. The recipe is from the chain of S & W Cafeterias that were popular in some of the major southern cities after World War II. Check out these photos from the ones in Asheville and Charlotte. These don't look like any cafeteria I've ever eaten at!

I didn't have a premade pie shell, and I was in no mood to bake one for reasons I won't whine about here. But craving something sweet, I took a huge shortcut and got out some phyllo dough that was up in the freezer and made a square "pie."

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 TB butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• one 10-inch basic pie shell

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
• In mixing bolw combine the sugar butter, and salt and beat until smooth.
• Add the eggs and mix until well blended.
• Add the milk and vanilla and beat until smooth.
• Turn the mixture into the pie shell and bake 15 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake till the pie begins to set around the edges and the middles is still jiggly, 12 to 15 minutes longer.
• Let the pie cook, then chill slightly.