Cream Pie Filling

Recipe No. 397 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Pies. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Milk, evaporated — 13 — 14½-ounce cans
• Water (for milk) — 6 quarts (6 No. 56 dippers)
• Cornstarch — 2½ pounds (2 No. 56 dippers)
• Sugar, granulated — 7 pounds (3½ No. 56 dippers)
• Salt — 1½ ounces (3 mess kit spoons)

Butter — 14 ounces (½ No. 56 dipper)

• Eggs, slightly beaten — 60 eggs (3 No. 56 dippers)
• Vanilla — 4 ounces (8 mess kit spoons)

Directions

Key ingredients

Cornstarch · Evaporated Milk

1. Mix milk and water.
2. Mix cornstarch and ½ sugar. Add ½ milk; stir until smooth.
3. Mix salt, remaining sugar, and remaining milk together; heat to boiling point.
4. Add cornstarch mixture very slowly to hot milk. Heat to boiling point; boil 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly.
5. Add butter; mix well.
6. Pour about ¼ cooked mixture over beaten egg; stir until well mixed.
7. Pour egg mixture slowly into remaining cooked mixture; mix thoroughly. Heat to boiling point*, stirring constantly.
8. Cool slightly; add vanilla and mix well.
9. Pour into baked pie shells.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Milk, evaporated — 1 can(s) (14½ oz) Water (for milk) — 2 cups Cornstarch — 3¼ oz Sugar, granulated — 9 oz Salt — about ¾ tsp Butter — 1 oz Eggs, slightly beaten — 4¾ eggs Vanilla — about 2 tsp

Heat only to boiling point. If mixture boils the eggs will be overcooked and the mixture will be curdled.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 397, Pies. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.