Pie of the Month Contest!

2011 is the year of the pie at Indian Head Resort! Fans from all over have been sending in their favorite pie recipes. Each month we will award a dinner for two* in our “Best of Chefs” Award-Winning Profile Dining Room. 

Enter Your Recipe by emailing us at info@indianheadresort.com, Please put the words “Pie Contest” in the subject line of your email. For More Information, see the bottom of this post.

Peanut Butter Cream Pie

Dear Friends at Indian Head, When I was a little girl, I’d go on vacations with my family to the northern New England states. We’d often go to Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, staying in various hotels, motels and renting cottages on lakes. The memories we created are forever etched in my mind as is some of the best food from the different regions. One of my favorite places as a youngster was Northport, Maine, mostly because I knew that a vacation there involved going to Darling’s Family Restaurant. This was a favorite stop for the locals as well, and mostly because Mrs. Darling prepared the meals to order and you could always taste the love in every bite…just like mom’s. She also had a “clean plate club” for the children who finished their meals. They’d get a gold star and a dessert of their choice. My favorite was always Mrs. Darling’s Peanut Butter Cream Pie. I always had room for that! I knew my mom made the best pie crust east of the Mississippi, so I asked her if she’d try to make it at home. She spoke with Mrs. Darling and asked her for the recipe. You can imagine my disappointment when mom was politely refused the secret concoction. Following family tradition, and wanting my own children to be able to understand how much fun I had as a child, we’d go to a lot of the same places…and some new places as well. One of my family’s favorite vacation spots was Island Pond, Vermont, where we’d rent a cottage on the lake for a week or two. Just the way we always went to Darling’s in Maine, I always made sure we frequented the Clyde River Coffee Shop in the center of Island Pond. Clyde River Coffee Shop was in the first floor of the Clyde River Hotel. It has a history with my family because during the Prohibition Era, when my dad wasn’t bootlegging moonshine up and down the northeast, he’d do some odd carpentry jobs to make ends meet. One of these odd jobs was to shingle the Clyde River Hotel, most of which had to be done from a boat in the Clyde River. I was always proud of that story and even more proud of my dad because I thought he was a brave soul for his accomplishment. On one of our visits to the coffee shop, I noticed peanut butter cream pie on the chalk board. My eyes lit up like night time on the Vegas Strip when I saw it. That was it. I had to try it! One bite and I was back in Pie Heaven. I asked to speak to the baker, and this sweet older woman emerged from the kitchen. I told her my story of Darling’s in Maine and that I hadn’t had that pie since…and that hers was even better than I remembered from back in the day. I asked her if she’d share the recipe and she proudly obliged. I wrote it down on a napkin and shoved it into my purse. As luck would have it, I spilled water into my purse, which, in turn, ruined the napkin with what I thought was the golden ticket. I didn’t have the nerve to go back and ask for the recipe again, so I left another family vacation with more memories, a Clyde River Coffee Shop coffee mug, and a brief recollection of what was written on that napkin. Upon arrival back in Boston, I began to think about this Peanut Butter Cream Pie recipe again and tried to work something similar out in my own kitchen. I remembered it being very rich and creamy, and pretty dense. I’ve mastered my mom’s old fashioned lard pie crust and I’ve been told I make the best pies. The following recipe for Peanut Butter Cream Pie is the final result of what I came up with. It’s a family favorite and ALWAYS requested for holidays. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

PEANUT BUTTER CREAM PIE 1 large box of Jello Cook and Serve Vanilla Pudding 1 1/2 cups whole milk 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 1 baked 9″ pie shell 1/2 pint whipping cream or heavy cream 2 tbsps. granulated sugar 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Pour milk into saucepan over medium heat. Add Vanilla pudding mixture and using a wire whisk, constantly stir until it begins to bubble. Add the peanut butter and whisk a little more vigorously until it’s well blended and turns a golden brown color… whisking frequently. When the mixture has thickened, pour it into the baked pie crust and refrigerate for no less than 2 hours. Before serving, in a cold metal bowl, pour whipping or heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Using a hand mixer, beat on high until stiff peaks form, being careful not to overbeat. Cover the peanut butter cream with whipped cream and serve. Our New Hampshire vacations always include the White Mountains and more often than not, Indian Head Resort. My daughter, who brings her own family on similar vacations, and yes, to Indian Head Resort as well, has her associates degree in baking and pastry arts from Johnson & Wales and she continually raves about Chef Adam’s creations. She is also one of my biggest Peanut Butter Cream Pie fans. It is with great pride that I share this recipe with you. Thank you for your consideration in this contest. Sincerely, Carol Stewart-Jeffers Milton, MA

Chef Adam's Banana Cream Pie

*Please Note: Monthly winners receive a certificate good for 

a dinner for 2 in our Profile Dining Room. Your name will also 

go into the final drawing at the end of 2012 for a 2 night getaway 

for a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children age 12 and under). 

Please note that all submitted recipes and comments may be used 

by Indian Head Resort for promotional purposes. 

We will be send out your dinner for 2 certificate within a week.