The Alphabet Pie: A Surprisingly Good Retro Recipe

When it comes to retro recipes, people often have preconceived notions about what will work and what won't. The Alphabet Pie, with its unusual ingredients and method of preparation, was definitely not on my radar until I decided to give it a try. I mean, who puts canned fruit, pasta, red hots, and cinnamon candy in a pie? But, as it turns out, this strange combination might just work.

The crust protector off, revealing the pre-made graham cracker shell that serves as the base of the pie. This crust protector is a clever feature that can be used to seal the pie when you're done with it, essentially turning into a lid. I gave it a few turns and scooped in the filling, making sure to fill it all the way to the top.

The final garnish was added - my trusty alphabet - and then it was time to take a look at what we had created. The pie looked beautiful, with its pink color from the canned fruit and the red hots adding a pop of color. But would it taste as good as it looks? I couldn't help but wonder.

The first bite was a surprise. The custard, which I thought might be overpowering due to the amount of cinnamon candy used, turned out to be quite nice. It had a rich and creamy texture, similar to pudding, with just the right amount of cinnamon flavor. And the pasta added a pleasant al dente bite to the pie, providing a nice contrast in texture.

The fruit added a sweet and fruity flavor, which complemented the cinnamon perfectly. But what really made this pie stand out was the addition of red hots. I was expecting them to be overpowering, but instead, they added a subtle spicy kick that enhanced the overall flavor of the pie. And then there's the whipped cream on top - because why not? It adds a nice creamy element and helps balance out the spiciness from the red hots.

As it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised by how good this pie actually tasted. It's definitely not for everyone, but for those who enjoy sweet and spicy flavors, this might be just the ticket. And let's be real, it's a great conversation starter at any party.

But the Alphabet Pie isn't just about taste - it's also about texture and presentation. The combination of crunchy graham cracker crust, smooth custard, and chewy pasta is a winning formula. And the pink color from the canned fruit makes for a festive and fun dessert to serve at parties. Plus, with its unique ingredients, this pie will stand out on any buffet table.

And who knows? Maybe apple or another type of fruit could work just as well in this recipe. I mean, it's not like it's going to change the flavor profile dramatically - but it would certainly add some variety. The whipped cream also adds a nice touch, because let's be real - everything is better with whipped cream.

It turns out that sometimes, things we think are weird or will never work can surprise us in unexpected ways. And for me, this Alphabet Pie was definitely one of those surprises. But I'm glad I took the chance and tried it out. If you're feeling adventurous, I encourage you to give this recipe a try - just be sure to have an open mind (and a sense of humor).

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(light upbeat music)- Greetings, my beautifullovelies, it's Emmy.How are you?It is great to see you, and welcome back.Today's video is sponsored by Helix Sleep,the makers of premiummattresses and beddingthat suit your needs.So everybody's differentand there's no reason why your mattressshouldn't fit your needs.So you can do what I didand take the sleep quizand enter your sleeping preferences.I happen to be a side sleeper.I share a bed with my husband.I prefer a firm mattress styleand the sleep quiz will take into accountyour preferences along with your partner'sand come up with a mattressthat is a compromiseto both of your needs.And we matched with theHelix Sleep Dusk Luxe,which we've had now for about a yearand we're getting great sleep.I love the squishy top andmy back feels supported.And it is a great improvementto our old mattress,which we inherited andsadly, it did us well,but it needed to be replaced.Give thanks to the old mattress.But we're getting greatsleep with our new mattress.And our kids also haveHelix Sleep mattressesand they feel very grown up in their bedsand they're getting great sleep as well.One of my favorite thingsabout a Helix Sleep mattressis that it arrivespackaged in a cardboard boxwhich makes it really easy to maneuver.And we have a set of very narrow stairs.So bringing it upstairs was really simpleand it made it much easier to move.And I was able to install it myself.Every Helix Sleep mattresscomes with a hundred night sleep trial.If you're not happy with it,they will come and pick it upand give you a full refund.There is a 10-year warrantyand there are also financingoptions and payment plans.Your mattress will comerolled up in a cardboard boxand be delivered right to your doorstep.And if you live in the UnitedStates, shipping is free.So if you're interested,click the link down belowor head over to helixsleep.com/emmymadeto see how you can get up to $200 offyour Helix Sleep mattressand two free pillows.Big thanks to Helix Sleepfor sponsoring this videoand for their continued support.Now today, in lieu of Valentine's Day,I'm gonna be making a recipewith cinnamon red hots.Now, I think most peoplethat live statesideknow what I'm talking aboutwhen I say cinnamon red hotsbut internationally, you may not.Now, cinnamon red hots areare round bright red candiesthat are infused with aton of cinnamony flavor.You can find them year round,but they are most popularduring Valentine's Day.They sometimes come in a heart shape.The ones that I grew up eatingwere round and bright redand I remember havingthem on iced sugar cookiesand they're just so bright and charming.I remember picking themoff and then eating themand I never really loved them,but I didn't hate them either,but they just had such adistinctive cinnamony flavor.And if you ate a bunch of them,your tongue would be stained bright redand your tongue would kind of go numbwith the cinnamon fieriness.Y'all know what I'm talking about, right?At any rate, I'm gonna betesting out a retro recipefrom 1941 for alphabet piethat uses cinnamon red hots to flavor itand to give it that beautiful pink color.And it also uses alphabet pasta.So alphabet pasta, cinnamonred hots...pink, red --Valentine's Day, right?That's what it spells, Valentine's Day.I don't know if itdoes, but it does to me.So let's go ahead and get started.So I have to confess,I was supposed to makethis recipe last year,but I just didn't get to it.And I wasn't really leavingthe house much at all.We were in lockdown and Iordered red hots online.And I was so tickled because I discoveredthat cinnamon red hots, these candies,are also called cinnamon lentils.Lentils, do you see that?Cinnamon lentils.I have never heard ofcinnamon red hots, red hots,cinnamon red candies ever called lentils.It's so funny to me becausewhen I think of lentils,I think of something quitehealthy and good for youand full of fiber and vegetarian soups.I don't think of redcandies full of red 40 dyeand white mineral oil.But here we are.I found this recipe from Mid-Century Menu.I'll put a link down below.Ruth tried this recipe, soI know that it will workand let's go ahead and get started.This is alphabet pasta.Ever seen this before?My children were tickled by this.I showed them this.I had an extra box.They dumped them out on a trayand were spelling allkinds of funny things,but that's what we're gonna be using.A half a cup of our letter pasta.Good ol' can of sliced pears.Right now, I just need the juice.So we're gonna drain that.So I had about three quartersof a cup of pear juice.Add water till I have two cups.We're gonna add the waterand the pear syrup to our pasta.It smells like Big Red gum.Another American classic.So, so, cinnamony.Look at those lentils. (chuckles)Oh my gosh, there's a big one!One cup of Red Hots.(Red Hots clattering)Oh, that was a great sound.Bring this up to a boil.Stir this all together.The red hots of course willmelt and we will get a syrup.And the recipe says tocook this for 40 minutesor until the pasta is tender.We'll be back to make thecustard once this is done.Alrighty, see you in a little bit.Alrighty, my lovelies, I am back.I cooked the alphabet pastain the Red Hot pear syrup.And this is something else.Look at the color the pasta has taken on.So I went ahead and reservedtwo tablespoons of pastafor garnish.And I also rinsed it underthe tap with some cold waterso that the pasta wouldn't stick.In a bowl, we're gonna crack two eggs.My hens are not laying right now.It's winter time and theseare store bought eggs.So two of them.Just beating them up.We're gonna be making a custard here.We're going to sift in our cornstarch.Make sure we get rid of any lumps.This is a serious recipe.No lumpy cornstarch.And we're gonna add our sugar.Bloop.Quarter teaspoon of salt.I forgot to mention I addeda quarter teaspoon of saltto the pasta while I was cooking it.I'm going to take ourreserved bright red syrupand add it to this.We need two cups.Mine looks pretty thick.So I add about a cupand a quarter of syrup.So I'm gonna add water tomake it equal two cups.And then we're going toadd that to our starch.And I'm gonna whiskthis all together first,before we turn on the heat.I have some lumpage.Look at that.It looks terrible.All right, now we're gonna add two eggsand one cup of cream.This is quite the concoction.Oh, but look at that color.It's gonna be pink.We have ourselves a pink custard.Now we're gonna cook this on medium heatand we're gonna stir this constantly.There's a ton of sugar in here.Not only that, there are eggs,so we don't want these eggs to scramble.Look at that.That's starting to look.I don't know what that'sstarting look like,but it's getting thick, wow!Look at that.I've already turned off the heat.Look at that.Oh my gosh.Look at that.It's like a paste.Wow.Look.'Cause I want this to cool down quickly,I'm gonna transfer it to a wide bowland I'm just gonna pour it all in.The paste.One pat of butter, whichshould melt in there nicelybecause this is so hot.Now, we're going to add our pearsthat we saved from earlier.This is supposed to be chopped pears,but I couldn't find choppedpears, so I have sliced.Half a cup of canned pineapple juice.Boop.Seems kind of watery, but,that's what the recipe says.And our syrup cookedRed Hot alphabet pasta.In it goes!Take a look at that.Gonna mix this all together.Take some cling film andjust press it right downon the surface of the custard.So it doesn't form a skinand then let this coolfor a bit in the refrigerator.While the custard is cooling,we can whip up some whipped cream.You can also just usethe pre-whipped stuffin the freezer section if you like.But I really wanna test out this stuffthat I found at Trader Joe's.It's whipping cream that's shelf stable.I've watched a lot ofKorean street food videosand baking videos.And I think this is verysimilar to the stuff they usebecause they use whipping cream that comesin these aseptic kind ofshelf stable containers.And they pour it and it just whips upto this really white,bright whipped cream.But, I love the ideathat it's shelf stablebecause I don't usuallyhave whipping creamin my refrigerator, soI can just have this,but I don't know what it tastes likeand I don't know how well it whips up,but we're gonna find out.So I'm gonna treat this justlike I would ordinary cream.This is at room temperature, though.It is not refrigerated.So here it is.This stuff.Ooh, it looks very thick.So I'm plugged in.My power is on.It wasn't on, so I'm glad I checked.Now, I've got a little bit of sugar here.About a tablespoon of sugar.This could be powderedsugar or regular sugarand we're just gonna beat this on high.Here we go.(mixer buzzing)This should be whipped cream by now,but because this wasn't cold.So I've got some very cold water.Let's try putting thewhipping cream into that.Not really.Read the directions onyour box before experiment.I don't think that'smade a bit of difference.So I'm going to try.I'll be right back.Back in from the cold.And I've got an alternative tothis whole bit of a failure.I've got some of the spray stuffand it's gonna work just fine.That little experiment,the whole thing with thelet's see how the Trader Joe'sshelf stable stuff works.Yeah, doesn't work unless it is cold.Lesson learned.Lesson learned.This is a pre-made graham cracker shell.If you would like to make your own,you most certainly can.This crust protector off.Right?And then when you're done with the pie,or you're still eatin' some of the pie,you can reverse this anduse this as a lid, right?Pull back the plastic.Gonna give this a few turns.Scoop that in.Fill it all the way to the top.Sort of an appropriate dessertfor Valentine's Day I think.Now we're gonna take ourwhipped cream in a can.Final garnish, our little alphabet.Since I have enough, I'lljust sprinkle the entire pie.Dun dun dun dun!The alphabet pie.(playful upbeat music)Alrighty.Let's go ahead and give this a slice.Oof. (laughs)Oh no!It didn't like me badmouthing it.Oh, pie.It's all good.You know, it's all good.Happy Valentine's Day.Spread the love.All right, here we go.Let's see.Here we go.Oh yeah.Oh yeah.Look at that.Oh yeah.Isn't that beautiful?And like my shirt says, Itadakimasu!Now...dare I say it,it actually tastes better than I expected.I thought the custard was gonnabe overpoweringly cinnamony.Like red hotty burny, orjust over the top cinnamon.And it isn't.The custard is actually quite nice.And I think because I used cream,you could also use evaporated milk,it tastes really rich andcreamy and almost vanilla-ed,but there's no vanilla in here.It of course is cinnamony,but not nearly as powerfulas I thought it was going to be.The texture is pleasant, it's very smooth,pudding-y kind of custard texture.Mhmm.Which goes really well withthe graham cracker crust.Which is crumbly andcookie-like at the bottom.The pasta gives a little bitof texture to the pie too.It's got a little bitof al dente bite to it.And the cinnamon flavor ispermeated throughout the pie,but is not overpowering.And then you've got littlebits of pear in there.Mhmm.Which gives a little bitof texture contrast, too.More of a succulent bite.So a little different texture.Fruity, not overpowering.Goes well with the cinnamon.I think apple probablywork really well too.Let's try some with the whipped cream.Mhmm.The whipped cream goes really well too,because again, there'scream in the custard itselfand whipped cream and graham crackers,an excellent combination.Wow!I thought this was gonna be terrible.I've tried so many retrorecipes at this point.Lots of Jello mold, lots of molded things.Lots of desserts thatcontain canned fruit.And this is actually pretty good.Wow.And I mean that in a relative sense.I'm not even a pie person,but for what I put in this,all the canned fruit, the pasta,the one cup of cinnamon candy,it's actually pretty good.Shockingly.I mean, good.I mean, I shouldn't say shockingly good,because that's a bit hyperbolic.I would say surprisingly good.And I think it would be perfect to bringfor a Valentine's Day partybecause it's so pinkand you've got the redalphabet pasta on top.It's just so strange.It's just a very strange recipeand it doesn't taste half bad either.And especially if you're afan of red hots or cinnamon,if that makes you happy.So many people also chimedin when I mentioned red hotsas being called red lentilssaid that their grandmotheror mother loved puttinga few red hots in their applesauce,which I think is brilliant.Makes it a little bit pink,add a little cinnamonflavor, little bit of sugar.Mhmm.Thanks so much for watchingand big thanks to Helix Sleepfor sponsoring this video.Click the link down belowor head over to helixsleep.com/emmymadeto see how you can receive up to $200 offyour Helix Sleep mattressand two free pillows.Thanks again for watching.I hope you enjoyed that one.I hope you learned something.Please share this video with your friends.Follow me on social media,like this video, subscribe,and I shall see you in the next one.Toodaloo, take care.Bye!(playful upbeat music)Oh dear.What am I gonna do with this now?I really don't know what to do.\n"