Massachusetts - The Bay State, State flower: The Mayflower

1. New England Clam Chowder
2. New England Boiled Dinner
3. Harvard Beets Salad
4. Parket House Rolls
5. Boston Cream Pie

Boston Cream Pie

Harvey D. Parker opened his hotel in 1856 and Boston Cream Pie was on the menu since Parker House opened. The fact that it is really a cake disguised by this misnomer remains unexplained.

CAKE:

6 Tbsp butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
½ cup milk
½ tsp vanilla extract

FILLING:

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
2 cups milk, scalded
2 egg yolks
½ tsp lemon extract

TOPPING:

Powdered sugar in a shaker

Preheat oven to 375º

The cake: Cream the butter with all but 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Beat egg until lemon-colored, add remaining sugar and beat. Blend eggs into creamed butter and beat until fluffy. Sift together dry ingredients, then, add alternately with the milk, to the batter and continue beating until all is absorbed. Add vanilla. Turn into 2 well-buttered 8-inch cake tins and bake for 25 minutes. When done, turn out onto racks to cool.

The filling: Mix sugar, flour and salt in the top part of a double boiler. Blend in the hot milk slowly and cook gently over barely boiling water, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

Beat egg yolks, blend a little of the hot mixture into the eggs to warm them, then, add to the rest of the mixture and continue cooking for another 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with lemon extract. When custard is cool, spread between the cake layers.

Sprinkle the top liberally with powdered sugar. To serve, cut into pie-shaped wedges.

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