Lancaster County is known far and wide, around the entire globe, due to the Amish community rooted here, and by extension the pastries, pies, and cakes that the community produces are famous. Shoo-Fly Pie comes to mind. Whoopie Pies do too. But Bob and Andy Pie? That’s a new one for me.
Turns out Bob and Andy Pie is a famous Amish dessert linked entirely to the midwestern US Amish populace. While Pennsylvania is top of the pile, as far as the State with the most Amish people, there are population centers in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri, and those are the regions where the pie with such a funny name is most popular.
The legend of the name stems from an Amish man who wanted to praise the pie his wife had made, to show just how delicious he found it, by comparing it to the best thing he owned… Bob and Andy. Bob and Andy were his excellent and hardworking, beautiful and powerful gelding draft horses. So, commending the baker on the taste of the pie as being “good as Bob and Andy” certainly did bring across just how much he loved that slice of sugar and spice.
The pie is a sweet custard style confection made with eggs (lots of eggs!) and milk, cinnamon, cloves and of course plenty of sugar. You aren’t likely to find recipes to make your own in PA Dutch cookbooks. You’ll need to look online if you want to try your hand at baking your own “Bob and Andy Pie.”