Left, Margie, my stepmother whose one publishing venture was for Beckley's Date Shop. Right, one of the great examples of a charity cookbook, Charleston Receipts.
Date Pie circa 1948
Margie’s recipe was printed in the now long gone Beckley’s Date Shop and Date Gardens in Palm Springs, California. It is an amazing pie. The description that came with the recipe was, “A Thanksgiving ‘must’ in the Lomsdale family." This pie filling needs no sugar as the natural sweetness of the dates is more than sufficient.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs pitted dates
- 1 quart whole milk and 1 cup milk (used separately)
- 4 egg yolks, beaten
- 4 egg whites
- ½ tsp. salt
- 6 Tbs. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 unbaked pie crust
Method
- Simmer dates in a quart of milk for two hours or more until tender.
- Do not boil.
- Press through sieve, discarding fiber.
- Add cup of milk, the salt, and the beaten egg yolks.
- Pour into unbaked pie crust.
- In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, then add the vanilla.
- Continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
- Bake the pie for about 15 minutes until bamboo skewer comes out clean
- Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Serve very cold.