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"What's the name of this dessert?" the DH asked ten times last night. "I don't know," I responded sweetly each time. I wasn't being evasive -- this is a dessert with no name. The recipe, written on a sheet of note paper "From the desk of Phyllis A. Roberts" is simply a list of six ingredients and two instructions. But from this cryptic note, emerged a sweet and salty meringue pie. And one that probably originated in the test kitchen of Ritz Crackers.
But, tasty as it is, this is an American derivative of the French classic dacquoise, a delicate meringue and hazelnut confection often baked in layers and frosted with buttercream. In addition to nuts, this recipe uses Ritz crackers, which lends a buttery and salty flavor note, not such a bad thing.
If you want to try your hand at "American" dacquoise, gather together the ingredients pictured below.
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Crush the Ritz crackers and chop the nuts. Whip the egg whites until they're almost stiff, adding the sugar and baking powder in gradually. (You can skip the baking powder.) Fold in the nuts and crushed crackers. Spoon into an eight- or nine-inch pie plate and bake.
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When it's brown, remove and let cool slightly.
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Even though heavy cream is listed, it should not be used in the pie (I tried it that way and it was a bit of a disaster). Instead, whip the cream to serve on the side.
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We called it "Ritz Pie" :)
ReplyDeleteWe did too. Or sometimes Ritzy pie!
DeleteI've always heard it called "Angel Pie."
ReplyDeleteMy mothers pie! She called it angel pie also! I love it!
DeleteI´ve heard of ritz pie before, and in the age of pretzels used in sweet desserts, this type of recipes are probably the ones that started the hype. It sounds amazing, love the idea Susan!
ReplyDeleteWe called this "MYSTIC PIE" and my mom made it quite often. So yummy and no one would guess that it was made with Ritz crackers. So fun to see this recipe again. I will have to look and see if I don't have this in my mom's handwriting. You have given us all a new appreciation for these old family recipes.!!!
ReplyDeleteKev
I make a version of this called Millionaire Pie. The middle layer is cream cheese, vanilla & confectioner's sugar. The top layer is whippped cream and crushed pineapple. You can only eat a small slice since it's so rich! :-)
ReplyDeleteMy Grandmother, Evelyn McCormick, made this pie during the1940s when she was a young housewife without a lot of money. Her mother had made it in the 20s 1930s and called it Mock Apple pie. It was made with soda crackers and sweetened lemon juice which was a common substitute for fruit in the days of the depression. Ritz crackers came out sometime in the thirties and took over as THE cracker to use in this recipe when it published a recipe for it on the box. I first tasted it when I was a little girl in the 70s when grandma told me she could make me an apple pie without apples. It was quite yummy and really did taste like an apple pie!
ReplyDeleteThis is different from Mock Apple.
DeleteIt’s called Heavenly Pecan Pie. It was my brothers favorite and our grandmother made it every holiday. It’s a recipe from the depression. They used Ritz crackers when they couldn’t get flour
DeleteMy brother’s favorite as well. My mother used to make it in the 1960’s. We called it “Mystery Pie.” I am giving one to my daughter for Christmas this year, passing the addiction on.
DeleteHere in Monterrey, Mexico the name is: Mstachon
ReplyDeletehere in Monterrey, Mexico the name is Mostachon..and add cream cheese meringue and strawberries
ReplyDeleteYup. Add fruit and a cream cheese topping (sometimes meringue based, sometimes whipped cream based, there are variants) and you've got some super yummy Mostachon. It's also very beautiful when the fruit is sliced and topped the right way.
ReplyDeleteDo u have a great pound cake recipe to share?
ReplyDeleteI do -- search my blog for some! I love pound cake.
DeleteDo u have a great pound cake recipe to share?
ReplyDeletei remember my mom making this ritz cracker pie in the 50s for her adult sunday school class. she did a dry run the evening before and we kids and daddy got to eat it. i have looked for this recipe for a long long time. mom got raves for it except for one many who left it on his plate, mom heard his wife state - when my husband saw what she had to eat he was nearly sick. well...the rest of us liked it!
ReplyDeleteGreat story! Thanks for writing.
DeleteWe call it “Lucille’s Delicious Pie.” When my parents we first married in the late 50’s their next door neighbor, Lucille, made this pie. Family lore says it took my mother quite a time getting the recipe because Lucille didn’t want to give out the recipe. I’ve chosen this as my birthday “cake” for as long as I can remember. We have it with chocolate pudding and whip cream or cool whip.
ReplyDeleteMy piano teacher made this pie, but she piled unsweetened whipped cream on it and topped it with a couple of chopped Heath bars. Absolutely delicious!
ReplyDeleteI won a cherry dessert contest at the old Stix Baer and Fuller department store, St. Louis, MO, 40 years ago using this recipe for a crust which I topped after baking with a cream cheese Cool Whip mix, sliced bananas, more cream cheese mix and topped with a can of cherry pie filling then more cream cheese mix. I named it Cherry Ritz. And it's my son's favorite, still.
ReplyDeleteWe top ithcool whip, cream cheese and a can of drained pineapple mixed together and spread on top…. It’s called “Guess What Cake”… I’ve never seen the bottom portion of the recipe printed and made anywhere before this!! Didn’t know where the recipe originated!!
ReplyDelete