Vintage Royal China Recipe Pie Plates

I had seen recipe pie plates before but I had never heard specifically of the ones by Royal China until eBay sellers 2DogsDigs discussed them recently on this Youtube video. They learned and now I have learned that some of these pie dishes are very hard to find and, therefore, quite valuable. 

Made in the 1970s and 1980s, these ceramic pieces remind us of Grandma’s kitchen. Each one has fluted edges and a recipe printed on the inside. They have an Americana or country-style feel that is definitely nostalgic. 

Many other manufacturers made recipe pie plates but Royal China Company pie plates in general seem to command the best prices. Of course, value depends on rarity of the particular recipe as well as the design, condition, etc. In the last three years of sales on eBay, these dishes have sold from $10 to $718. The rarest pattern can perhaps be determined by the two that fetched the highest prices. That is, the Sweet Potato Pie and Peanut Butter Pie plates.

Of course, there were other companies creating similar pie plates at the time.  These pie plates were very popular at the time and decades later they are popular again! A few of the other manufacturers who made similar pie dishes are Rawleigh, Watkins and Good Housekeeping. The Maple Walnut Pie plate by Good Housekeeping is also a particularly valuable pie plate.

In terms of baking pies, these pans are considered to be of good quality. They are made of a ceramic material that is good for absorbing heat slowly and distributing it evenly, which is perfect for pie baking. They’re generously sized, which keeps fillings from overflowing and the recipes themselves don’t require a lot of unusual ingredients. The recipes are also fairly simple and traditional making the resulting pies taste as most people expect an old-fashioned pie to taste. Interestingly, the recipes are just for the filling and not for the pastry. I do love it when a collectible is practical.

But are the recipes any good? I was unable to find much information in that regard but saw a few references online indicating that the apple, pecan and quiche recipes are good. Of course, if you paid hundreds of dollars for one you might not want to bake a pie in it.

Visit eBay to see all of the Royal China recipe-themed pie plates by clicking here. 

Do you bake pies? Do you collect recipe-themed pie plates? Do you know if the recipes on these plates are good? 

See you

in the kitchen!

Brenda

ROYAL CHINA PIE PLATE LIST

These pie plates feature many recipes and a few series including but not limited to:

COUNTRY HARVEST

Apple Pie
Apricot Orange Ice Cream Pie
Blueberry Pie
Cherry Pie
Chocolate Mint Ice Cream Pie
Peanut Butter Pie
Peach Ice Cream Pie
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Sweet Potato Pie

JEANETTE

Apple Pie
Cheesecake
Lemon Meringue Pie
Pecan Pie
Strawberry Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Quiche Lorraine

ALL-AMERICAN SERIES

All-American Blueberry
All-American Strawberry Pie
All-American Cherry Pie
All-American Peach
All-American Pumpkin
All-American Strawberry

HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE SERIES

Hershey's Cocoa Cream Pie
Chattanooga Choo Choo Pie

MISCELLANEOUS

Armadillo Pie
Cheesecake

QUICK LINKS:

See what 2DogsDigs had to say about these vintage pie plates.

This Week in Brenda's Kitchen: B. Kliban Cat Cookie Jar

This week in Brenda's kitchen we find another cookie jar, this time featuring B. Kliban’s cat or, to be exact a trio of B. Kliban’s cats on a cookie jar.

These posts about some of the more unique kitchen items I discover are not only about cookie jars though it might appear that way at the moment and I do love them.  It just happened that this great cookie jar was the next interesting item to find its way onto my counter after my last “this week in Brenda’s kitchen” post.

The artist B. Kliban created the cartoon cat known as Kliban in the 1970s and this black and white cat achieved huge celebrity. Continued popularity and a certain amount of nostalgia mean that people are still looking to find Kliban items including vintage calendars, t-shirts, coffee mugs and cookie jars to add to their collections.

In our humble opinion this item is a bit small for a cookie jar. We like (okay, we love) cookies and this jar, because of the unusal pants shape, would not hold many but I think we could make it work. It would also work for storing candy or even for holding cotton balls or something of that nature in the bathroom. Of course, it doesn't have to have a practical use at all and could simply be a decorative accessory for a Kliban fan.

This cookie jar measures 8-inches tall with the lid on or 5.25 inches without the lid and about 6 inches from the front to back on the bottom or 4 inches from the front to the back at the opening.

Whether you have a whole Kliban collection or you are looking for a single cat-themed decorative accessory, this B. Kliban cookie jar will serve you well.  We think he would look fine in just about any kitchen.

You will find a few more interesting vintage 1970s Kliban items by Trendsetters and Sigma in this scrolling gallery from eBay.  I tried to pick a favorite but I love them all!

Kliban loved to “eat them mousies." We love to eat cookies! How about you?

You can find this Kliban the Cat cookie jar here, on eBay.

See you

in the kitchen!

Brenda