The Amish have all sorts of pie confections with odd names: shoofly, whoopie, and Bob Andy to name just a few. But then there's this one: tears-on-your-pillow pie. Where the heck did it get it's name? I've never really been able to establish an answer.
One theory I've read is that the pie can collapse in the oven, because it's a very thin pie and maybe that gave rise to "tears on the pillow" from an upset Amish housewife trying to make a pie.
I've made the pie a couple of times. The first time it didn't really turn out, but I didn't weep, I just tried again and it came out OK.
I think, historically, among the Amish giving a recipe a fun name was just part of the fun. Who can forget Old Lady on a Bus Chicken?
Here is a photo of how Tears On Your Pillow Pie pie is supposed to look like from one of our recipe-testers and the recipe itself is below. It's a very thin pie comprised of very basic ingredients, a classic Amish confection.
If you use a classic pat-a-pan pie crust, then you'll be using a very authentic, easy recipe for the crust and the pie.
I don't see as many of these "depression pies" being made these days (the term comes from pies and other sweets common during the Great Depression). Amish pies and palates have gone a bit more sophisticated these days, so this Tears On Your Pillow pie isn't as common. But it is still a tasty treat that can be whipped out of virtually nothing! If you don't have evaporated milk on hand, here are some easy substitutes.
🥧 Tears On Your Pillow Pie
- 1 /3 cup butter, melted
- 1 1 /2 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 /2 cup evaporated milk
- 1-9 inch unbaked pie shell
📋 Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, eggs, flour, and milk until well-blended.
- Pour the filling into the pie shell.
- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
- Turn off oven and leave the pie for 1 hour.
🥧 More Amish Pie Recipes
Cinnamon Cream Pie - Wow this is great!
Lemon Pie - Refreshing!
Oatmeal Pie - an Amish365.com classic!
Sawdust Pie - So good!
🖨️ Full Recipe
Tears On Your Pillow Pie
Ingredients
- 1 /3 cup butter melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 1-9 inch unbaked pie shell
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, eggs, flour, and milk until well-blended.
- Pour the filling into the pie shell.
- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
- Turn off oven and leave the pie for 1 hour.
Wendy
Maybe because you can whip it up quickly - good for soothing a broken heart!
agtoth
Found this at Recipe Goldmine/amish
Bob and Andy Pie
This pie is named for an Amish farmer's two prize gelding work horses. The farmer came in from working in the fields. He took a bite of this pie and said, "This pie is as good as Bob and Andy."
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat all ingredients together very well and pour into a 9-inch unbaked pie shell. Bake for 45 minutes. The pie will quiver. The top will be puffed up when you remove the pie from the oven and will fall down after it has cooled. The pie is best served at room temperature.
Ms. Catherine Melba Alston Hardy
November 16, 2016
Interesting and I Like
Ms. Catherine Melba Alston Hardy
Chrissy
I can't wait to try this! 😋
Kevin Williams
It is a unique pie, enjoy!
Nancy LaLiberte
Something must be amiss here -- it seems that a piecrust would not be golden brown after 15 minutes in a 350 oven. Should the temp be 450 instead? Sounds similar to a meringue shell that would be baked for a short time at a high temp, then left in the oven after it was turned off.
Donalee Sumner
The time should be 35 minutes...not 15.
Susan
Hi! I've been making this pie for 20+ years now. I found the recipe pre-internet in the newspaper and clipped it out. It is one of my most requested pies. The family now call it "Tears Pie" since it has such a long name.
I have a few tips that might help those asking about baking times and also re the thinness of the pie that the author mentions. The recipe was originally written for baking in a wood fired oven. In the beginning I too had trouble getting the crust done and sometimes even the filling too. Here's what I do: Bake at 400 for 10 minutes then reduce temp to 350 and bake another 30 minutes. Always works.
As for the thinness of the pie, here's what I do: I use 5 oz of evap milk rather than 1/2 cup, because that's what's in the small can. I bake this pie in an 8.5 inch pie plate instead of a 9 in and that gives more height to the pie.
I also like to add 1/2 tsp of vanilla. Hope these tips help someone!
Kevin
Susan, welcome to Amish365, and thank you for those suggestions, I think those sound great...I like the idea of the smaller pie pan to bulk it up a bit!
J. R. Brown
question on the time limit for baking, and this almost sounds like a recipe for a butterscotch pie except u didn't add the butterscotch morsels to the batter
Kevin Williams
It is similar to a b-scotch in some ways...just bake it for 15 minutes, turn off the oven and let it sit!