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March 28, 2015

A quick, delicious recipe for vintage Easter Sunday Pie


As you may have gathered over the years, if you're a long time Chronically Vintage reader, I have such a thing for cute and/or uber festive vintage recipes. This love extends just beyond my menu however, and I absolutely adore celebrating these special occasions in general, too.

I'm not alone here in the slightest and know that the same rings true for many of you as well. As vintage fans, I think we're especially well attuned to the importance of celebrating the positive events in life. We honour and celebrate the past with our wardrobe, decor, vehicle, music, etc choices and we usually take time to appreciate traditions, customs, and other elements that go hand-in-hand with holidays and special occasions.

Easter, falling on Sunday April 5th this year, is certainly one of the highlights of spring and well worth celebrating through and through! If you don't want to or can't celebrate Easter for whatever reason, than simply use this day as the perfect excuse to welcome spring back into your life with the most open of arms!

This day helps us to usher in spring after winter's seemingly endless visit, reminds of the power of rebirth and new life, and is chocked full of countless beautiful - and delicious - things from daffodils to Easter bonnets, chocolate eggs to the all that sublimely lovely fresh produce that is hitting the grocery store and farmer's market's displays again.

Naturally, being a holiday associated with sweetness - which I can't help but think stands as a very apt representation of how very sweet springtime itself is - Easter lends itself particularly well to sugary desserts and today's vintage recipe for Easter Sunday Pie is certainly no exception (plus, you've got to love the bonus Butterscotch Jewel Parfait and Coconut Party Pudding recipes that are included on this charming 1951 recipe ad that originally hailed from pages of Good Housekeeping Magazine).



{Crunchy coconut, lush vanilla pudding, and splendidly sweet candies combine in this quick, fun and very pretty Easter dessert that is sure to have guests asking for seconds and the recipe! Image source.}


This recipe is uber simple and relatively budge-friendly. You can use either a store bought or homemade 9-inch pie crust for the base, whichever you fancy. Alternatively a graham cracker crust would be really nice here and if I went that route, I might make this a frozen pie to help the crust and pudding filling stay put all the better.

For my fellow gluten-free friends, in terms of store bought gluten-free pie crusts, I've had the most luck so far over the years with Glutino's Perfect Pie Crust. There is a bit of prep and chill time involved (so I'd suggest making the crust a day or two in advance of when you plan to assemble the pie), but it creates very, very good pie crust that I've used for everything from pumpkin to strawberry to pudding pieces with zero troubles to date.

As this classic mid-century vintage pie recipe is so straightforward and includes a mere handful of ingredients, I wouldn't be apt to tweak it too much (aside from assuming it was GF, if I was going to have a slice). That said, if coconut is not your cup of tea, I would imagine that sliced toasted almonds would work fabulously here as well (if I went that route, I'd probably use pistachio, white chocolate, or milk chocolate pudding instead). You could also swap out the Easter candies used on top for any that you and/or your guests would like. Festively shaped and coloured gummy candies, jujubes or chocolates would be super lovely atop this fun 1950s dish.

Though Easter may no longer mean rooting around the house for foil covered eggs and checking to see if the Easter bunny nibbled the carrots we left out for him (he always did - thank you for that, mom! :)), it still fills me with excitement and joy and is a special day that I can't wait to celebrate with my wardrobe, home decor, and vintage recipe choices each spring.

Join me, won't you, in whipping up this easy-as-pie (pun intended), wonderfully tasty coconut and pudding dessert for a sweet treat that is sure to bring joy to everyone who gathers 'round your table to honour the gorgeous return of spring and all the grand things that this season brings back in our lives once more.

33 comments:

  1. That looks super yummy!!!!
    -Jenna <3
    Follow me???? The Chic Cupcake

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  2. I swear that vintage recipes were so much more aesthetically pleasing! I've never seen anything like this pie, I can't even picture what it would taste like... I tend to avoid pastry - I've never found a satisfactory GF alternative in the UK. Although, this morning, I had GF pain au chocolats for breakfast!! And they weren't half bad... CC x

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    1. GF pastry can be tricky for sure and results temperamental at best sometimes, I hear you there, dear gal. There's a couple of decent store bought mixes here in Canada, but they do have a lot of prep work and time involved (much more so than with glutenous pastry). Still, they do the trick pretty well. I'd be happy to mail you a box anytime, if you can't find anything that works for you in the UK. A nice alternative here would be a (GF in our case) graham cracker (or similar cookie/biscuit) crumb crust.

      Have a wonderful weekend!
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. Oh, my....
    I would be more than happy to join in your "coconut" spree; however: my folk over here (at home) are being picky lately. Instead of "easy-as-a-pie" kind of treat, they demanded one of "getting-up-extra-early-to-set-the-yeast" kind. Yes, I'm talking STRUDEL. :)
    Never mind, I'll serve them this one - soon. And they'll leave not even a crumb behind.

    Marija

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    1. Strudel does sound pretty fantastic, but by the same token, it would be easier on you I'm sure if they were content with any lovely homemade treat that you made. I bet they'll lap up this pie and ask for it again for future Easters - the combination of crunchy coconut and silken pudding is absolutely divine!!!

      Joyful Easter wishes to you and your family!
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. Yum! I prefer to make things from scratch but this would still be simple with homemade pudding. Even better with chocolate pudding! :)

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  5. That is almost too cute to eat! {I did say almost.} ;)
    I just might have to add this adorable confection to the dessert table at our Easter gathering. I'm the gal who makes the pies in my family. (My first job was at a bakery where I was the "Pie Lady".) I'm planning on making a fresh strawberry pie & a baked peach pie. This pie would be a fun alternative & the kiddos would love it. That is, if they can look up from rummaging through their baskets. ;)

    Love,
    Michelle ^_^

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    1. Agreed - *almost* too cute to eat! :) What a wonderfully cool first job to have! My first real job was as a waitress, which pertains to food, as did my second, working at a candy shop. I would have adored working at a bakery, too. I usually bring the desserts, or at least some of them, to family events, too, especially at Christmas and Thanksgiving, but more often than not, anytime we're gathering for a festive meal. Your planned strawberry and peach pies sound sublime!

      Thank you very much for your lovely comment, dear Michelle. Have a beautiful Easter season!
      ♥ Jessica

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  6. My favorite cookbooks are truly vintage i.e. 30's to the 70's, with smudges and dog-eared pages. To me, it is insight into the past. You can tell when times were lean and when the country was enjoying prosperity. Looks like the perfect dessert for Easter-or any spring set table.

    Happy Easter to you and your family Jessica :)

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    1. Thank you very much, Lisa. I wholeheartedly wish you and yours the same as well and hope that spring is off to a fantastic start for you guys already. March was a somewhat rough month on this end, but I have a jam packed schedule in April and high hopes to go along with that it turns into a much more enjoyable month.

      I am the same way! Those are such special gems that show the love that their previous owners had for both the books themselves and those they cooked for. My very favourite thing is when I find a handwritten recipe tucked into a vintage cookbook. I save them all and love imagining what the ladies who penned them back in the day were like.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. I love your vintage recipe posts. The dishes make me nostalgic, the images are delightful and your prose is always so entertaining. You're created the best blog I've seen on any subject.

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    1. Ally, that is a truly touching and phenomenally awesome thing to be told. Thank you very much for not just making my day with your wonderful comment, but for putting a much needed smile on my face for a long time to come.

      Have a fantastic weekend!
      ♥ Jessica

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  8. I love coconut in cakes, so this is a keeper. :) And it looks like a nest! So cute. I just have to go to work Monday and Tuesday and then we drive to my little cottage to celebrate Easter and be together with my sister (she's my neighbour), her family and my parents. I do think my brother will come and visit us too. Ahh, I can hardly wait. But today I am spring cleaning while listening to old Elvis records. I hate cleaning. :(

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    1. Same here! I think coconut is one of the most appealing flavours of all time. I love that it's also one that just about everybody in my likes and can safely eat, regardless of their respective dietary paths.

      How wonderful that you're getting a nice, long Easter weekend! I'm delighted for you, dear Sanne, and really hope that you have a resplendent one!

      Big, energizing (to help with the cleaning) hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  9. ah yes! very good timing jess! i was scratching my head what to bake for easter!
    wish you a wonderful and sunny easter week!!!!!! xxxxxxxx

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    1. Hello sweet Beate, I'm delighted to have been able to help you out on that front. I know that many of us find ourselves in similar situations when the major holidays roll around, especially given how busy most of are these days, which is a huge part of the reason why I try to provide at least one (new! :)) recipe each time one looms near. I really hope that you and your honey adore this fun coconut pie, if you give it a spin.

      Sending joyful Easter season wishes and oodles of hugs your way,
      ♥ Jessica

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  10. What a beautiful centre piece to present on easter sunday. Such a show stopper! Great recipe!

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    1. Thank you very much, dear gal. I completely agree. I've also been thinking how fun this would be for Halloween, too, done up perhaps with chocolate or butterscotch/caramel pudding and season candies.

      Wishing you and your family a truly beautiful Easter season,
      ♥ Jessica

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  11. Ohhh!! I love vintage recipes! This one looks great. I have only just discovered your blog so do excuse me while a catch up a little..........

    Jerra x

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    1. Warmest welcome, Jerra! They're quite the passion of mine as well and I try to add at least one new one here every month.

      I'm delighted that you discovered my blog and appreciate that you commented in the process. It's always a sincere pleasure to connect with new bloggers.

      Wishing you a beautiful Easter celebration,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. I really like reading your ''cake'' posts, vintage pies and cakes look so pretty, I feel both inspired and overwhelmed by them x)

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  13. Yummy! When I was first learning to make pie crust I would make tarts with pudding filling and this post is certainly putting me in the mood to make some! :)

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    1. How lovely!!! You made me stop and think about the first pies I can recall baking as a youngster. They were fruit, pumpkin, and mincemeat, all with pastry crusts, but pudding and custard filled recipes were quick to follow. Were it not for the abundance of excellent pie filling worthy fruit we have here in the Okanagan, pudding pies could very easily have been my first as well. :)

      Wishing you and your family a fantastic Easter celebration!
      ♥ Jessica

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  14. The apple bowl in the picture reminds me of my grandmas house. I love these bowls. :)
    I need to start soon creating an Easter menu :)
    http://inkandlacedesigns.blogspot.com.au/

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  15. Hello my beautiful and loving friend Jessica how are you?
    I hope you're enjoying the early spring in your country, a wonderful season.
    What delicious recipe you posted! Loved the presentation of the pudding. Should be delicious!
    I wish a good week for you with peace many joys and achievements, with affection, Cris.

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    1. Hi sweet Cris, though this month has been a somewhat rough - and certainly stressful - one, I'm doing okay, honey, thank you. How are you?

      I hope that you and your family have a splendid, joyful Easter week celebration as well!

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  16. Looks soooo yummy! I love vintage recipes <3

    Hugs, Pri
    VINTAGEPRI

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  17. They have done a great job in that advert, everything looks so pretty and fun and they all sound delicious. Is the packet of Jell-o vanilla pudding a kind of instant cake mix? I am trying to eat very healthily at the moment so have asked everyone not to buy me any Easter eggs but I have to say I am missing them!

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    1. Hello sweet dear, isn't it a charming advert? I find most mid-century food ads to be so much more appealing, well thought out, and better written (not to mention illustrated, where applicable) than the bulk of today's. The mix is a type of instant pudding mix (as in the North American usage of that word denoting a soft custard-like dessert) that sets without heat and is ready to eat after just five minutes of prep + setting time. It's not the healthiest thing ever, but it is rather tasty and handy for sure. If you'd ever like to give a few flavours (there's lots of them these days) a go, let me know and I'd be happy to send some your way.

      Big hugs & many thanks for your great comments this weekend,
      ♥ Jessica

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    2. Thanks for explaining, it sounds rather interesting. I am not sure that we have anything similar but will look out on my next trip to the shops.

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    3. You're very welcome, always happy to try and help. It might be a bit of a struggle to find something similar in the UK. I know that when I lived in Ireland (2004 - 2006), instant pudding was amongst a group of staple North American foods (instant macaroni and cheese was another one) that I couldn't find anywhere. Very sweetly, a couple of relatives sent a few boxes my way in care parcels, so Tony was able to try it before we even moved to Canada together. It's not a problem at all to ship you some, if you'd like. There are lots of flavours and though it's not the healthiest food ever, admittedly, it certainly is delicious! :)

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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