Hello and happy Thanksgiving dear readers,

I hope that this post finds either you full of turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie or waiting with anticipation for the meal ahead!! Today I would like to share the story behind my dear friend Cathy's Black Bottom Pie. The recipe was published by Wolftree Magazine in their e-book "Five Pies and a Sugar Cookie" which you can find here. Anne and I worked on compiling stories and creating images both for the e-book and for a series of holiday posts that Wolftree will be releasing in December, and I'm rather pleased by the result. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the tradition behind this wonderful family recipe.

French Black Bottom Pie by Cathy Field

I have been lucky enough to have both my grandmother and my great grandmother actively participate in my life. While these women have inspired me in many ways, none is more prevalent than in their style of cooking. All of my holidays and family visits have been dominated by food, specifically good homemade Russo-German food. This style of cooking is hearty and centers around two things, meat and dough.

My great grandmother Lillian lived her whole life in South Dakota. She grew up on her parents’ farm and then, after marrying my great grandfather Henry, settled on her own farm just a few miles away. Lillian’s sister Betty, however, married a military man and lived quite a different life. Before WWII Betty lived with her husband in France, but when tensions began growing in Europe she was forced to return. Luckily, she brought back this recipe for black bottom pie with her.

The recipe has a fancier name that has long been forgotten by my family. However, once you’ve made the pie and seen the beautiful distinction between the white fluff and the creamy chocolate, you won’t think twice about an inelegant title. It has graced every family Thanksgiving I can remember, a fact that was insured by my refusal to eat any of the other pies my grandmother baked. In fact this is the only pie I actually like (I am much more of a cake girl).

While this recipe can be a little finicky, it turns out beautifully with a little patience and a few messy bowls. French black bottom pie is just the thing to impress your friends, and will speak to those in your life who don’t traditionally love pie or the numerous pumpkin treats which populate the season. I wish you the best in your baking endeavors and a merry holiday season.

-Cathy Field