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Try These Five Louisiana Pie Recipes

Louisiana people have a flair for food. Louisianians love finding a good recipe, procuring the ingredients, taking time to prep, sliding the finished product into the oven, and especially sitting down to eat it.

Since almost everyone loves pie, we’ve not only found some pretty amazing Louisiana recipes that can be enjoyed as after-meal desserts, but a couple more that could potentially be the main course. 

At Farm Bureau Insurance, we hope you get to enjoy the kind of feast this Thanksgiving that you wish you could share with family every day, and we hope you and your loved ones have a safe and happy holiday. 

Sweet Potato Pie

Courtesy of New Orleans Classic Desserts by Kit Wohl

Pie Crust 

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup finely-chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup cold butter (the original recipe calls for vegetable shortening)
  • 1/4 cups ice-cold water, or as needed

Directions

  1. In a food processor, pulse together all the dry ingredients and the butter into short bursts until the mixture forms pea-sized lumps. 
  2. Add the water through the feed chute as you pulse until the mixture forms a stiff dough and pulls away from the sides of the food processor bowl. Or use a pastry hand blender to blend the dry ingredients until they resemble small peas in size. 
  3. Add the chopped pecans, then, using a rubber spatula, gently form the mixture into a 6-inch disc while slowly adding the liquid. 
  4. Wrap the dough in plastic; chill for one hour. The dough can be made in advance. It can be kept refrigerated for several days and even frozen.

Pie Filling 

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 large sweet potatoes (about 1 ½ pounds) peeled and cut into 2” cubes
  • ½ to 1 cup granulated sugar to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cooled, prebaked pie crust (Leah’s recipe follows) 

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
  2. Roll the chilled pie dough (see recipe below) into a 12-inch round and press into a 9-inch pie pan.
  3. Flute the edges. 
  4. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the crust is set and is beginning to brown slightly.
  5. Remove the pie pan from the oven and let it cool.
  6. Put the sweet potatoes into a medium pot and cover them with an inch of water. Bring them to a boil, and boil slowly until the potatoes are tender with no resistance at the center when pierced with a fork (Or pierce the potatoes and place them on a baking sheet and roast in a 375 degree F oven until tender).
  7. Drain off the water or peel and mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Do not use a potato ricer or food processor. As you mash the potatoes, add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; then whisk in the eggs, milk, and vanilla. The butter goes in last.
  8. Once the filling is well mixed, pour it into the baked pie crust. Sprinkle the top of the pie with more ground cinnamon. 
  9. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the filling is set and the edges of the crust have browned. 
  10. Cool the pie to room temperature and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Cajun Pecan Pie

Courtesy of Plate and Pen food photographer/blogger and Louisiana native Ashley Durand

Pie Crust

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2.5 ounces goat cheese
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup oat milk or regular milk

Directions

  1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
  2. Hand-mix the goat cheese into the shortening until well blended, and fold it into the flour mixture.
  3. Add the egg and milk and stir to combine. You’ll need to use your hands to continuously press down on the dough. Since it’s a flaky crust, it is quite crumbly, but the moisture when pushed down will help it stay compact.
  4. Roll the dough into a ball and refrigerate it for an hour, covered in plastic wrap.
  5. Roll out the dough to about a quarter of an inch thick and add some flour to prevent sticking. You should have enough for two pies, but I usually make one for a 9” pie pan and I use (one for) the pastry cut-outs for decorating the pies.
  6. Butter and spray the pie pan.
  7. Flip the pan upside down onto a flattened crust. It’s not a forgiving texture, so you will need to slowly lift the pie pan with the dough so that you can push it down into the pan once it’s right-side-up.
  8. Push the dough down over the lip of the pie pan, so it’s nice and snug with no overhang.

Pie Filling

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup dark corn syrup
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 2 cups whole pecans
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla paste
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions

  1. Set the oven to 375 °F.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, flour and salt.
  3. Stir in the corn syrup and melted butter.
  4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
  5. Mix in the milk, pecans and vanilla paste.
  6. Allow this to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  7. Pour the filling into the pie pan with the pastry crust, and add the lattice leaves or any other decorative pastry elements to the rim of the pie crust.
  8. Brush egg wash over the pie crust and lattice work. Bake the pie for 50 minutes.
  9. Remove from the oven after 50 minutes and use a toothpick or knife to cut slits into the pie so that it cooks efficiently for the remaining 25 minutes.
  10. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the rim with foil strips. After cutting slits and using foil (optional but recommended for the rim), place the pie back in the oven for 25 minutes. This makes eight servings.
  11. Allow this pie three to four hours to cool. 

Mississippi Mud Pie

Courtesy of Chef Cory Bahr for Louisiana Kitchen & Culture Magazine

​Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

  • ​14 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • ​3 cups heavy cream

Directions

  1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water.
  2. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream; remove from heat.
  3. Let this cool for one hour.

Mud Pie 

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces bittersweet chocolate
  • ​5½ tablespoons butter
  • ​2/3 cup cold, strong coffee
  • ​1 tablespoon dark rum
  • ​3 cups heavy cream
  • ​1½ teaspoons pure vanilla
  • ​3 cups chocolate cookie crumbs, such as Oreo

Directions

  1. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler or metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water. 
  2. Add the rum and coffee; stir. Set aside; cool for 10 minutes.
  3. ​In an electric stand mixer, whisk the heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold in the vanilla. 
  4. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, one third at a time, until incorporated. Allow the mousse to cool for one hour.
  5. ​Butter the bottom and sides of a nine-inch springform pan. Evenly sprinkle one cup of the chocolate cookie crumbs into the bottom of the pan; press down with a spatula. 
  6. Spoon half of the chocolate mousse over the crumb-covered bottom. 
  7. Evenly sprinkle one cup of chocolate cookie crumbs atop the mousse; gently spread half of the chocolate ganache atop the crumbs. Repeat layers of mousse, crumbs and ganache.
  8. ​Refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight. 
  9. Just prior to serving, make Swiss meringue (below). Mound it atop the pie and swirl into decorative peaks. Using a crème brûlée torch, lightly torch meringue to brown. Slice and serve.

​Swiss Meringue

Ingredients

  • ​4 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 pinch cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla

Directions

  1. Bring the water to a simmer in a pot set over medium heat. 
  2. Combine the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl; place it over a saucepan. Whisk mixture constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, three to three-and-a-half minutes. Test the mixture by rubbing between your fingers. 
  3. Transfer the bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; whip, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 10 minutes. 
  4. Fold in the vanilla. Use the meringue immediately.

Crawfish Pie

Courtesy of Louisiana Cookin’ Magazine

Ingredients

  • ½ cup salted butter
  • 1 large onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • ½ bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup cold water
  • 2 pounds crawfish tail meat
  • ½ cup chopped green onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 (14.1-ounce) package of Pillsbury pre-made refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
  2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat; add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook until softened. 
  3. Add the soup, evaporated milk, salt and peppers. Add the cornstarch mixture. Reduce the heat to low, and cook until thickened, about five minutes. 
  4. Fold in the crawfish, green onion, and parsley and cook for five minutes.
  5. Place the bottom crust in a deep dish pie plate and bake, using pie weights, until the crust is lightly browned, seven to 10 minutes. 
  6. Fill with the crawfish mixture, and place the top crust on the pie. 
  7. Bake until browned, 25 to 30 minutes.

Official Natchitoches Meat Pie Recipe

Courtesy of the Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau and Mrs. L. J. Melder

Meat Pie Filling

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon shortening
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork meat
  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped
  • 1 pod garlic, minced
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • Salt, black pepper and red pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon flour 

Directions

  1. Melt the shortening in a heavy pot. Add the meat and cook until the pink color is gone.
  2. Add the vegetables and season them to your taste. (Season well, as the meat will lose seasoning during frying.) 
  3. When the meat is completely done and the vegetables are glazed, remove the pot from the heat and drain any excess liquid. 
  4. Stir in 1 tablespoon flour.

Meat Pie Crust

Ingredients

  • 1 quart plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup shortening plus 1 tablespoon
  • 1 cup milk 

Directions

  1. Sift the dry ingredients together. 
  2. Cut in the shortening. 
  3. Beat the eggs and add the milk. Work gradually into the dry ingredients until the mixture is at a proper consistency to roll out.
  4. Break the dough into small pieces and roll very thin. Cut the dough into rounds using a saucer as a guide.

Assembly

  1. Place a large tablespoon of prepared meat along the edge and halfway in the center of each round dough piece. 
  2. Fold the other half over, making edges meet, then seal with water. Form edges with a fork. 
  3. Drop each small pie into deep fat and cook until golden brown. Drain pies and serve them hot. 
  4. Makes approximately 18 pies. 

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