Cooking Lesson #91 Old-Fashioned Custard Pie

Old-Fashioned Custard Pie

How you doin’? Pies are an important part of our American heritage and custard pie is right up there with apple pie in importance. We tested several custard pie recipes, and my friend Henry’s was the best of them all. I wouldn’t expect anything less from him as the former owner of Bavarian Bakery.

Custard pie may be considered dated by some and this recipe may be old or old fashioned, but it is a classic and much more than just a plain old piece of pie. It has a delicious rich filling made with cream, eggs and pure vanilla extract, with a light dusting of nutmeg, nestled in a buttery, flaky crust. It may be old fashioned and plain—but to me it’s just plain fantastic.
 
Thanks, Henry and Happy Belated Birthday!
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  45 to 55 minutes
Yield: 1 9-inch pie / serves 5 to 6 people
 
Ingredients
For the crust
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder,
1/4 cup vegetable shortening*
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon white or cider vinegar
3 to 5 tablespoons ice water
1 egg white, beaten (reserve the yolk for the pie filling)
 
For the filling
1-1/2 cups milk (anything from skim to whole, your choice)
1 cup cream (heavy, whipping, light, or half & half, your choice)
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 egg yolk (left over from the crust egg white wash)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
 
Directions
To make the crust:

1. Whisk together all the dry ingredients.
2. Add the shortening, mixing until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Add the butter, working it in until it's unevenly crumbly, with some larger chunks of butter remaining.
3. Sprinkle the vinegar and 3 tablespoons of the ice water over the dough while tossing with a fork. Add more water if the dough isn't coming together. Just as soon as the dough becomes cohesive (i.e., you can squeeze it into a ball easily), stop mixing; there should still be visible pieces of fat in the dough.
4. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 30 minutes or longer; this resting period allows the flour to absorb the water, making the dough easier to roll out.
5. Roll the chilled crust into a 13-inch circle and lay it in a lightly greased 9-inch pie pan. Make an upright crimp around the edge to keep the filling from sloshing out as you move the pie from counter to oven.
6. Place the pie crust in the refrigerator to chill while you preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack set in the middle.

To blind-bake (pre-bake) the pie crust

1. Brush the pie crust with the egg white and let it set. You may have to put the pie crust in the oven to dry the egg white for a few minutes.  If you do chill the crust again for a few minutes before blind baking.
2. Line the chilled crust with foil or parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans.
3. Bake the crust for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and gently remove the foil or parchment with the weights or beans. Return the crust to the oven for 10 to 15 more minutes, until it's golden brown all over. If the edges of the crust start to become too brown, cover them with a pie shield or strips of aluminum foil.
4. Remove the crust from the oven and cool completely while you make the filling.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

To make the filling:

1. Start by combining the milk, cream and salt in a medium-sized saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Heat the mixture until small bubbles form around the edges, and steam starts to wisp from the surface to scald milk. Set aside off the heat.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk and sugar. Pour 1/4 of the hot milk/cream over the egg mixture, stirring well being careful not to cook the eggs.
3. Pour the egg mixture into the remaining hot milk/cream, stirring well. Pour the custard through a sieve, to strain out any possible bits of cooked egg.
4. Stir in the vanilla extract.

To bake the pie:

1. Pour the hot filling into the baked, cooled crust.
2. Sprinkle the nutmeg evenly over the top.
3. Cover the edges of the pie with a pie shield or strips of aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
4. Place the pie onto sheet pan and place on the oven's middle rack.
5. Bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the custard is set at the edges but still a bit wobbly in the center. The temperature of the pie at the center should be between 170°F to180°F.
6. Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a rack to cool.
7. When it's completely cool, refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
8. Store any leftovers covered with food film in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

ChefSecret:

• I know the crust procedure may seem a bit fussy, but it makes a great crust. If you are in a hurry (or just not in the mood to be bothered), just use a supermarket pre-made crust or refrigerated dough and skip the extra steps—all the flavor is in the egg and vanilla custard. 
• You can substitute butter for shortening if you prefer, but your crust will be less flaky.
• You can use skim milk or fat-free, however the custard won't taste as rich a texture and flavor of the intended recipe.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: The spread of Covid-19 is based on two (2) factors:

1. How dense the population is.
2. How dense the population is.

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