Flapper Tarts

Flapper pie is a traditional dish from the prairies of western Canada. The name seems to stem from the fact that the pie originated in the era of the ‘flapper girl’. Flappers were modern, young girls in the 1920s, often with a slightly immoral behavior. Precursors of the 1920s flapper were both, the late Victorian ‘new woman’ and the Edwardian ‘Gibson girl’.

Unlike their Victorian grandmothers, 1920s flappers cut off their long hair and wore a bob instead. They also wore makeup, smoked and drank alcohol in public. And like all 1920’s women, flappers wore short (knee-length) dresses. However, unlike more conservative women, flappers wore only the bare necessities under their dresses, often just a slip and rolled stockings.

Flapper pie was served in every café that graced small, Canadian prairie towns. Some foods are so regionally specific that people outside of a certain geographic area have never even heard of them, let alone tasted the dishes. Such is the case with flapper pie.

Flapper pie is a decadent combination of three components: a cinnamon-y, graham cracker crust, a creamy vanilla custard filling and a meringue topping. Instead of a pie I decided to make individual tarts.

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Flapper Tarts

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Course

dessert

Cuisine

American

Keyword

flapper tarts

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

Crumb Crust

• 1 1/2 cups graham wafer crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling

• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla

Meringue

• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 egg whites
• dash of salt
• 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Course dessert Cuisine American Keyword flapper tarts Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients Crumb Crust 1 1/2 cups graham wafer crumbs 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1/3 cup butter, melted Filling 2 cups milk 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/8 tsp salt 3 egg yolks 1/4 cup milk 1 tsp pure vanilla Meringue 1 Tbsp cornstarch 1/2 cup water 3 egg whites dash of salt 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla

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Instructions

Crust

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Combine crust ingredients; reserving 1/3 cup for topping. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. Place 2 Tbsp of crumbs in each one, gently pushing up the sides & over the bottom. Try not to press to firmly to avoid them becoming to hard after baking.
3. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or just until crumbs stick together & brown slightly.

Meringue Stabilizer

1. In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water & 1 Tbsp cornstarch (listed in meringue ingredients); bring to a boil & thicken. Set aside to cool.

Filling

1. In a heavy saucepan, heat 2 cups milk until it boils. In a small bowl, combine sugar & cornstarch, then add salt, egg yolks, 1/4 cup milk & vanilla. Whisk into boiling milk; continuing to whisk until mixture returns to a boil & thickens. Pour into baked tart shells.

Meringue

1. Adjust oven temperature to 350 F. Beat egg whites & salt until frothy then gradually add sugar, beating until stiff. Add vanilla & MERINGUE STABALIZER, beating until stiff peaks form.
2. Pipe the meringue over the custard in tart shells making sure it touches crust to seal & prevent it from shrinking after browning. Top with reserved crumbs.
3. Bake tarts until golden, about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely set away from drafts.

Recipe Notes

• The meringue stabilizer is used to ensure there is no 'weeping' as the meringue cools & sets.
• If you prefer to make pie instead, this amount of ingredients will make a 9-inch pie nicely.