The Legend of Strawberry Ice Cream Pie

"I'll just have dessert."

When it comes to the Georgia Center's Strawberry Ice Cream Pie, why dawdle with preliminaries like appetizers, salads, soups, or meals?

For thousands each year, the treat of Strawberry Ice Cream Pie is part of the Georgia Center experience. On the daily menu in the Savannah Room Restaurant and the banquet menu for many conference groups and special functions, it never disappoints a devotee, and probably picks up a new one with each serving. On a busy week, up to 150 pies are created and served.

Although some may swear it was unearthed on a misty, mid-1950s day with trumpets blaring during the Center's original excavation, its beginning was a little less mythical. The result, however, is magical; Strawberry Ice Cream Pie has achieved "Legend" status since its debut in the early 1960s.

What's the Scoop?

Much of the credit goes to Luetrell G. Sims, who, as head baker in the Center's Department of Food Services, is responsible for all of the Center's desserts and pastries, and for Strawberry Ice Cream Pie since 1963. She received an "Outstanding Service Award" in 1996, as part of the Georgia Center's "Awards and Recognition Program." A Fall 1989 article in a UGA publication* profiled Sims and the Tall Tale she has helped create. The following excerpts give the details that still hold true today.

As the story is handed down, the pie was born out of necessity when, early in the Georgia Center's history, someone mistakenly ordered 600 pounds of coconut macaroon instead of 60 pounds. In an effort not to waste it, staff members started searching for recipes using coconut macaroon.

The late Arvy Pomery, a food service supervisor at the time, came up with the idea of a pie crust. But before she perfected the crust, Pomery left the Center and her work passed on to Inez Johnson. Shortly after Luetrell Sims started working at the Center in 1963, Johnson left and Sims inherited the crust project.

Sims says it took her several years to perfect the crust so it cooked consistently in the uneven oven temperatures of that time and wouldn't fall apart or stick to the pan. But knowing how to make the crust is only part of the knowledge needed for the delicious concoction that is the uncontested favorite of Georgia Center diners.

"You have to know how to mix the crust, when to fold, how and when to dip the ice cream, when to put the pie into the freezer, when to take it out. And perfect timing is a necessity to keep the special meringue topping from sliding off the top," Sims explains.

The recipes for both the crust and meringue are a secret. In the early days, the meringue was browned with a butane torch but now Sims uses a commercial salamander (a broiler that browns on top very quickly) for the crowning touch.

But the luscious filling between the crust and meringue is certainly no secret. From the very first pie it has been strawberry ripple ice cream, made in the University Creamery. "We don't know what we'd do if the Creamery quit making strawberry ripple ice cream," says James McCay, head of the Center's Department of Food Services. (An update--the Creamery closed a few years ago. The Center found a new vendor.)

Even if you knew how to make the crust and meringue you probably couldn't make the pie like Sims does. She is one of only four or five people who know how to put the whole thing together. "Just knowing the recipe won't really let you make the pie," she says. "You have to have that special touch, be able to feel the texture, and have the timing just right." (Mamie L. Hector, who received the Center's "Award for Excellence" in 1994, also "designed" the dessert for many years. Hector retired in 1995, after more than 25 years at the Center.)

The spectacular Strawberry Ice Cream Pie is always a hit with diners, especially people attending conferences at the Center. "Oohs" and "aahs" often fill a banquet room when service staff come through the door with trays of pie high over their heads. Conference coordinators sometimes ask Sims to step into the room to accept a round of applause.

(As Sims says) ". . . It's my own artistic piece."

The many thousands of diners who have enjoyed the pie over the years would agree that "artistic piece" is the perfect description.

This article appeared in the column "From The President" by then-president of UGA, Charles B. Knapp, in the "Georgia Football Game Program" for "The Georgia-Florida Game," November 11, 1989 (p.3). Knapp's columns that year featured "employees whose service, dedication, and talent make them special to our institution." The excerpts are reprinted here, "adapted" with a few minor adjustments, with permission from The University of Georgia Athletic Association and University Communications.

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Last revised: Wed, Sep 17, 1997, 2:42 PM 

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