Bee Taylor's Nesselrode Pie

Several months ago, a friend and I were watching and old Andy Griffith episode. It was the one where an visiting lecturer, Hubert St. John, had dinner at the Taylor house and he was very smitten with Aunt Bee, she even made his favorite pie - something something Pie.

What did they say that pie was I asked my friend? She said I don't know, we rewound (thank you TiVo) and listened again, Hassleback Pie? No..rewind again..Hasslehoff Pie...no...rewind again...darn why didn't they have close captioning on this show? After many attempts to figure it out we finally decided they were saying "Nesselrode Pie" - what the heck was that?

Well, we gave up watching Andy Griffith and we hit the world wide web to figure out what Nesselrode Pie was (by the way, Aunt Bee reminded Mr. St. John of his dearly departed wife and her speciality had apparently been Nesselrode Pie)

As it turns out, Nesselrode Pie is kind of a long forgotten dessert. It apparently was quite popular in Bee Taylor's day but since the mid 60s kind of disappeared out of cook books and bakeries. My friend said maybe there was a reason for this.

None-the-less I tried to find some recipes and did find a few on line but they varied and I wanted Bee Taylor's recipe so I read they had it in the Aunt Bee's Mayberry Cookbook and I almost ordered it right then and there. I also found out that her name was spelled "Bee" not "Bea" as I had always assumed (thinking it was short for Beatrice).

Well... I had just downsized all my cookbooks and only kept the ones I truly loved and used a lot so I was skeptical about getting a new one - especially for one recipe. I wanted to look through it before I bought it. I looked at a few stores but never found it and months went by. I would think about this pie from time to time but still never ordered the book and just was too reluntant to try an internet recipe not knowing which one was the "true" recipe.

Fast forward many months later and I find myself in a tiny gift store in Chimney Rock, North Carolina. Say... isn't North Carolina where Andy, Opie and Aunt Bee live? While looking at this and that, I stroll over to the cookbooks to look for one that might make a good gift for a friend when low and behold - angels start singing and a light shines down on a copy of Aunt Bee's Mayberry Cookbook. I'm pratically jumping for joy. I look through it and thankfully there are a lot of good looking recipes in there - enough to warrant the purchase. I go to the index and look up the Nesselrode Pie - whoo hoo - there it is on Page 194 and I turn to it of course.

Imagine my shock and utter horror when I found out it is NOT Bee's recipe but instead it is Clara Edward's! Do you mean to tell me that Bee took the credit for that pie knowing full well it was Clara's recipe?! For shame, Bee, for shame! Maybe Bee was trying to get even since Clara won the pickle contest or had the prize winning rose. At any rate, I am finally making the long sought after pie.

Clara's (not Bee's) Nesselrode Pie

1 baked 9 inch pie shell
1 tsp. plain unflavored gelatin (which is 1 pkg of Knox geletin)
1/4 c. cold water

2 c. light cream

2 eggs, separated

1/4 c. sugar

6 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. rum (I used 1/2 tsp. rum flavoring)

Whipped cream (I used cool whip)

Chocolate shavings (I grated a Hershey bar on top)

Bake pie shell (either home made or I used a pre-made one and followed the directions for baking)

Soak gelatin in the cold water 5 minutes.

Separate the eggs, beat the yolks and add the cream and 1/4 cup sugar. Pour into a small saucepan and heat slowly until mixture is smooth and slightly thicken.

Remove from heat; add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Pour into a bowl and chill until it begins to thicken (it should thicken but not be totally set)

Meanwhile, beat egg whites to form stiff peaks then gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar and continue beating.

Fold into chilled custard mixture and add the rum (flavoring). Pour into baked pie shell; chill 4 to 5 hours until set.

Just before serving, top with whipped cream and shave a square of chocolate over the top.

* * *The verdict on this much anticipated pie is. . . . (drum roll please). . . .it is good ! Yeah! I would have been very sad had it not been. The rum flavor is really the key element - gives it that kind of mmmmm, what is that kind of taste. It is also quite a pretty pie to serve. I called my friend and told her I made it, she wants to come over and try a piece of course. Will I make it again? Yes, I will. Thanks for the recipe Aunt Bee, uh, I mean Clara.