Sunday, July 20, 2008

Lard crust and Dixie Pie




I have the best recicpe for lard crust! I have tried many recipes, even one today where I had to mix everything in a ziplock bag, but it took an hour to make the crust. However, I keep coming back to my old standby. Many of you know that lard crusts are flakier and more flavorful that ones made with shortening. In fact, the old recipe for McDonald's French fries that we loved so much included frying potatoes in lard. But the health food patrol got them, and now their fries taste like everyone else's. Well, my recipe for great, never-fail lard pie crust is Pillsbury's refrigerated pie crust in your dairy case. It is made with lard, is ready when you are, and takes no time at all! If you know a better recipe, please share it.

One of my favorites pies is Dixie pie. I first encountered it when I worked at Tippin's Pie and Restaurant in Oklahoma City (sadly, out of business). It is a nut pie fabuloso! I have made this several times for family and it's always a hit. Here is the recipe:

Dixie Pie


1 stick margarine, softened
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp bourbon (you can leave that out, if you wish, but I wouldn't!)
1/2 c. All purpose flour
1 c chopped walnuts (you can use pecans if you like or if you have someone in the family who is allergic to walnuts.)
l c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 9" unbaked pie shell (preferably lard)

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a unbaked pie shell. Bake 350 for 1 hr.

I serve mine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, or even better, in a bowl with cream.

5 comments:

Texas "T" said...

Thank you so much for this recipe,it was the pie of choice at every Thanksgiving celebration until Tippins closed. I'm completely thrilled to have the recipe! All these years I thought I was eating pecans and they were walnuts! Good to know!

Rachel said...

I just googled Dixie Pie and your blog came up. I also worked at Tippins, in Kansas City, when I was in highschool. I LOVED their dixie pie, except I never knew it was made with bourbon or walnuts. I thought it was just a pecan pie with chocolate. Anyways, today I got a neat email from someone that read my blog that used to work for Tippins. I thought Id share it with you too.

(I had some spare time on my hand today and thought I would see what Tippins was up to. (funny what we do when we have the time!!)
I saw your blog about Dixie pie and wanted to let you know what I know ... I started working at Tippins as a waitress in 1982 and left when they couldn't get out of their bankruptcy situation. By then I was running our production facility with over 150 employees and 6 supervisors under me.
Long story short ... Dixie pie was made with walnut halves. (Not that I would not eat one made with pecans). It was called Derby Pie when we first opened but because of the copyright laws, someone else already had that name ... thus Dixie Pie came about. We also used to use bourbon in the formula but our 3rd restaurant was in Independence, MO and our 4th in Tulsa, OK so religious concerns and a "family environment" forced us to take out the bourbon.
The only pie we continued to produce with a liquor content was the mincemeat and the chocolate cherry rum cake over the holidays.
I spent many years working for Tippins and it's nice to come across someone else who enjoys and remembers the product we used to put out. I have all of those formulas etched in my memory forever!

Have a good day)

Lisa in Benton said...

Long time Tippin's fans say THANK YOU for posting this recipe! We were very sad when the resaurant closed and my husband has been looking for a substitute for his all-time favorite 'Dixie Pie' ever since. He will be thrilled with 'the real thing'. Thanks, again.

pintomama said...

In case you didn't know, you can still get a Dixie Pie along w/ other Tippin's favorites at any Hen House in the KC metro area. :)

amuel said...

I was a Tippins waitress. I always encouraged it in a bowl with heavy whipping cream(liquid) poured over it.
It quickly became my regular clients favorite. Baking my "derby" pie today with bourbon.
Now if I could only replicate the Beef Melt on sour dough bread.
yummy memories 1988