George Clooney Scarfs Down Slices Of This Unusual Pie Every Chance He Gets

Actor George Clooney might be a Hollywood legend, but when he returns to his native Kentucky, he is sure to visit a bakery in the Maysville community for one particular pie. In an interview with Local 12, Clooney admitted that when he is in town, he stops by Magee's Bakery for a piece of the transparent pie that has captured the hearts and stomachs of locals since the 1800s. 

Transparent pie is often compared to chess pie, sugar pie, or buttermilk pie. These sweet recipes are similar, with rural roots and stories of crafty old-school cooks who made use of what ingredients were available to them. Butter, sugar, milk, eggs, and a touch of flour combine to create a smooth, rich filling that is translucent enough to warrant its name. Magee's Bakery has been making these pies since the 1930s, and a photo of Clooney and his wife is displayed with pride in the store. According to local lore, Clooney's love for the pie runs deep: His aunt used to make it for him, and rumors persist that he has ordered some of these pies to be delivered to movie sets he has worked on.

While Magee's transparent pie recipe remains a secret, there are plenty of recipes posted online to try. The pie is surprisingly straightforward to bake and can be put together in under one hour. Flavored with vanilla, and containing plenty of sugar, the simple recipe can satisfy any sweet tooth. As a bonus, transparent pies don't need to be refrigerated. "Transparent Pie is still made by many, many people in Maysville today," wrote a YouTube user who added that the sweet tradition has spread across state borders and into Ohio.

Though no one can say with certainty where the name of the pie comes from, the most likely explanation is the most obvious. Unless you're chef Grant Achatz tinkering in the kitchen and producing a crystal clear pie for Alinea, this is the closest you can get to transparent when baking a pie at home. Yet as humble as it might be, this is the kind of pie that keeps even a star like Clooney coming back for more.