Helen Wissel Carnes' Cream Pie with Fresh California Blueberries
A century-old cream pie from Helen Wissel Carnes' recipe box, with a California blueberry compote added by her great-granddaughter.
Jennifer Ann Blair writes. Food and wine are the way in — a recipe box almost thrown away, a name half-remembered, a dish reconstructed from someone else’s handwriting.
Helen Wissel Carnes wrote this recipe in her black book. Mary Jane’s name is at the top, her daughter, who apparently made a pie worth writing down. I saw one of Helen’s kitchens once, when I was seven or ten, old enough to remember it but young enough that the details are soft around the edges. Her handwriting is different from Clara’s, easier to tell apart than you’d think, but both of them wrote the way people cooked then: assuming you already knew the parts they left out. Much of the knowledge lived in the hands, not on the card.
The process is unusual and worth saying plainly before you begin. You spread the dry filling over the unbaked crust, pour the cream and milk over the top, and do not stir. It looks improbable until it isn’t. A light crust forms on top in the oven. That’s what she meant. Trust her.
The blueberries are mine. Helen would have used whatever Indiana offered. Juneberries in early summer, peaches, cherries, whatever the season brought. This pie was made in April, when California blueberries are at their peak, jammy and bright. I cooked them down to a compote and spooned them over the completely cooled pie. Indiana or California, the logic is the same. Use what the season gives you. The pie belongs to both of us now.
Notes
My oven ran hot, which darkened the crust more than I wanted. Watch yours carefully in the final stretch. Every oven has its own opinion about baking times. Start checking at 40 minutes. The pie is done when the filling is thick, bubbling, and a light crust has formed on top. If yours comes out darker than expected, know that the filling can still be perfect underneath.
This pie shares some similarities with Hoosier Cream Pie but isn't quite the same. Helen's version is her own. If you've made a Hoosier Cream Pie before, the method will feel familiar. The blueberry compote is entirely new territory.
Helen’s pastry method is likely drawn from an original Crisco recipe or the same tradition. I used a vegan shortening and it worked perfectly. The pastry technique creates distinct, reliable flaky layers regardless of which shortening you use. If you choose to make the shell from scratch, I’d encourage it. Makes 2 crusts; freeze the second for next time.
If the crust edges are browning too quickly, tent them loosely with foil and continue baking.
Chill the pie for 2 to 3 hours or overnight if adding blueberries.
A pinch of salt depends on your fingers. A traditional pinch is the amount of salt you can pick up between your thumb and index finger. A three-finger pinch is the amount picked up with your thumb, index, and middle finger (usually equals 1/8). If you want to be precise, you can buy mini measuring spoon sets that include labeled spoons for a "dash," "pinch," and "smidgen."
Serve a slice of pie with a dollop of cream, a pinch of nutmeg, and a sprig of mint. That’s all it needs. Helen would have poured coffee. Strong, black, exactly right for this pie. If you want to honor that, do the same.
While You’re Here…
Jennifer Ann Blair writes. Food and wine are the way in — a recipe box almost thrown away, a name half-remembered, a dish reconstructed from someone else's handwriting. All free. Pull up a chair.