Vidalia Onion Pie

Yesterday I made this recipe for Vidalio Onion Pie. I got it out of the America's Best Lost Recipes cookbook. This was incredible and I would not change a thing. (Okay maybe add a titch of garlic and cheddar cheese sometimes). This is basically  like a quiche and would work really well for brunch. I am listing it under "breakfast" but it also could be an appetizer.

VIDALIA ONION PIE

Cynthia Drummond, Brunswick, Ga.

Her story: "This recipe came from my grandmother, better known as Mama Sapp, who owned a farm in Toombs County, Ga., where Vidalia onions are grown. It's the soil there that gives them their sweet taste. This was a holiday or Christmas dish.

"She was a fine Southern woman of little means, who split her thumbnails from shelling peas and butterbeans and acquired a stooped back from hard labors. She could cook anything from nothing. Every summer, I would come from Atlanta, stay with her and work on the farm. She taught me to cook.

"She was so sweet. She worked so hard, and she never said a cross word to anyone — ever."

Serves 6 to 8

6 slices bacon, chopped

2 medium Vidalia onions, sliced thin (about 3 cups)

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

Use favorite pie crust, the single crust one listed here, fully baked and cooled, or as a shortcut option, use Pillsbury Just Unroll Pie Crust. If using Pillsbury dough, follow package instructions to prebake pie shell at 450 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, making sure to prick dough with a fork before it goes into the oven.

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside. Cook the onions in the bacon fat until browned, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk the eggs, sour cream, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon chives in a large bowl, then add the reserved bacon and onions.

2. Pour into the prepared pie shell and bake until the filling is puffed and cracked around the edges and the center barely jiggles when the pie is shaken, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon chives. Serve. (The pie can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Single-Crust Pie Dough

Makes enough for one 9-inch pie

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled

4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

1. Process the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter the shortening over the top and continue to process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and, using short pulses, process the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture. Stir and press the dough together, using a stiff rubber spatula, until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does. Form the dough into a 4-inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

3. Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it into a 12-inch circle and fitting it into a pie plate. Trim, fold, and crimp the edges and freeze the unbaked pie crust until firm, about 30 minutes, before filling or baking.

4. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the chilled crust with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or pennies. Bake until the pie dough looks dry and is light in color, 25 to 30 minutes. For a partially baked crust, transfer the crust to a wire rack and remove the weights and foil. For a fully baked crust, remove the pie weights and foil and continue to bake until the crust is a deep golden brown, about 12 minutes longer. The pie crust may be cooled completely or used warm, according to the particular pie recipe.

To Make Ahead: The dough can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Let the frozen dough thaw on the countertop until malleable before rolling. A fully baked pie crust can be stored at room temperature, wrapped tightly in foil, for up to 2 days.