Fran's Angel Food Pie

This is Dad's favorite dessert! When Fran (Nana) Bamford was a bride during the Great Depression, this recipe was a wedding present from two ladies who ran the lunch counter in Granddad Douglas' neighborhood in Portland.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Calories: 415 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup white sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
• 1 (9 inch) baked pie shell
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste
• 1 pint heavy cream, whipped
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Partially fill the bottom of a double boiler with water, and bring the water to a boil. Pour 2 cups of water into the top of the double boiler with the salt. Place the top of the boiler onto the bottom. Whisk 1 cup of sugar with the cornstarch in a bowl until all lumps are gone, and whisk the mixture into the water until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened and translucent.

Step 2

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they form stiff peaks. Pour in the hot cornstarch mixture in a slow, steady stream, beating constantly, until the mixture is fluffy and forms peaks. Beat in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Spread the filling into the baked pie shell in an even layer, and chill in refrigerator.

Step 3

With an electric mixer, beat the cream with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract in a large metal bowl until the cream forms soft peaks; frost the pie with decorative swirls and peaks of the whipped cream. Sprinkle pie with chopped walnuts. Refrigerate until serving time.