Brandy Flip Pie

Max, I am afraid that the heat has finally fried your brain. Calm down, girl. Get ahold of your self. Yes, I’m sick and tired of the heat too, but trust me, it is about over. In a few weeks you will forget that we were dripping like wet rag dolls, and hating to turn on the kitchen stove. I now it must be bad when you are rebelling from fixing full, thresher meals. Surely you didn’t serve that Crabmeat Olympia Hiawatha salad to your family for the main meal. It sounds more like a ladies luncheon item rather than fare for working men.

Your mentioning Fred Harvey reminded me of another one of his company’s recipes that I used to make in the heat of summer. It is a Brandy Flip Pie that was featured at his Dining Room at the Chicago Union Station once upon a time. My only encounter with Chicago Union Station was 30 years ago, and boy was it a disappointment. Shabby didn’t begin to describe it then. And the food there looked like it came out of a vending machine. Maybe it is better now?

Actually, Doctor Erma prescribes a piece of this pie as a sure cure for excessive summer heat. It is easy to fix, cold, and best of all it has 4 tablespoons of brandy! Before you start in on me and my “excessive utilization of alcohol”, think about it. I haven’t sent you a booze recipe in at least a week or two.

Trust me, dear, a little slice of this pie and you will forget all about the heat.

Brandy Flip Pie:

1 envelope of unflavored gelatin
¼ cup cold water
4 eggs, separated
½ cup sugar
½ cup milk, scalded
½ teaspoon fresh nutmeg
4 tablespoons brandy
1 baked pie shell
Bitter or semi-sweet chocolate bars (Optional)

Soften the gelatin and cold water. Beat the egg yolks with a hand whip and then combine with sugar and milk. Cook in a double boiler until the mixture coats a spoon. Remove from the heat and add the gelatin. Stir and chill until slightly thickened.

With a small mixer, beat the whites until stiff with the remaining sugar, nutmeg, and brandy. Gently fold this mixture into the thickened yolk mixture with a spatula.

Pour into a cold pie crust and chill until firm. Serve with chocolate curls made by running the long blade of a vegetable or potato peeler over the slightly warmed chocolate.