Recipe/photo courtesy of  www.signelangford.com

We don't know exactly who to credit for this ingenious creation - weird-sounding but surprisingly delicious! - but we can fairly assume a gaggle of resourceful gals scattered all over North America came up with several variations on this theme during the Great Depression or extreme food rationing of WW2.

Some are topped with a second crust; some are slathered with a thick layer of bruleed meringue. You could break with the have-not tradition and serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of Canadian honey or maple syrup.

Ingredients

2 nine inch pie crusts, homemade or frozen

3 Tbsp DEVIL'S ORCHARD Perry Cider vinegar

2 Tbsp warm liquid honey for brushing the crusts

2 1/2 cups water

2 free-run eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1 tsp maple, almond, vanilla or lemon extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 400º F (204º C)

2. Blind-bake the pie crusts; Prick the dough all over with a fork, then weigh them down with dry beans or ceramic pie weights. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.

3. Once baked, use a pastry brush to apply the warmed honey evenly over the bottom and sides of both crusts. Set aside to cool while making the filling.

4. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring water to a very gentle boil; somewhere between a hard simmer and gentle boil is perfect.

5. While the water is coming to a boil, use a whisk to beat the eggs, sugar, flour, salt and vinegar together in a large bowl until perfectly smooth.

6. Very slowly, pour the egg mixture into the gently boiling water, whisking constantly to prevent the egg from scrambling or lumps from forming.

7. Continue to whisk constantly until the mixture is as thick as runny custard, about 5 to 10 minutes.

8. When the custard coats the back of a spoon, remove from heat and whisk in the extract and cinnamon.

9. Pour equally into cooled pie shells. For a finer finish, pour custard through a sieve to catch any grainy bits of cooked egg. Allow to chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Makes two 9” pies.