Spiced Custard Pie
MAKES
One 8 ½ inch / 22 cm skillet pie
TAKES
Prep time: 2 hours (includes chilling times)
Cook time: 1 hour
Total: 3 hours
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
Custard pies like pumpkin and pecan typically dominate the holiday season - but one of my favorites to bring to the table is a classic custard pie, flavored generously with fragrant warm spices. It makes your house smell incredible while baking, and results in a deliciously creamy filling wrapped in a flaky, buttery crust. Baking in a cast iron skillet ensures that the bottom gets crisp and golden - and stays that way - reducing the risk of the dreaded soggy bottom.
INGREDIENTS
one recipe Extra Flaky All Buttah Pie Dough, prepared and well-chilled
226 g / 4 large eggs
43 g / 2 large egg yolks
99 g / ½ cup granulated sugar
56 g / ¼ cup light brown sugar
288 g / 1 ¼ cups whole milk
177 g / ¾ cup heavy cream
7 g / 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
3 g / 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 g / 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 g / ½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 g / ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
> 1 g / ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 g / ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Bake This Recipe with Me:
METHOD
1. Line the skillet: on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a circle about 1/4 inch / 6 mm thick. To transfer the dough to the skillet, gently roll it up, wrapping it around the rolling pin, then unfurl it into an 8 ½ inch / 22 cm.
2. Use scissors to trim away the excess dough, leaving about ½ inch / 1 cm excess all the way around the outside edge of the skillet. Tuck this excess dough under, pressing gently to make it flush with the edge of the skillet. Crimp the crust as desired (or, leave it as is).
3. Par-bake the crust: dock the crimped single crust pie dough with a fork and chill well, at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour.
4. Towards the end of chill time, preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C with an oven rack in the lower third of the oven.
5. Cut a square of parchment paper slightly larger than the diameter of a skillet, crumple it up, then place it into the base of the skillet, on top of the crust. Fill with pie weights to the top inner rim of the pie plate.
6. Bake until the edges begin to lightly brown, 15-17 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights, and return to the oven until the lower portion of the crust appears dry and set, 2-3 minutes more. Cool completely before filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F / 175°C.
7. Make the filling: in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture lightens in color slightly - it should be pale and thick, at ribbon stage, 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Add the milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt and whisk well to combine. Gently pour the custard into the cooled par-baked crust.
9. Bake the pie: Transfer to the oven and bake until the crust is deeply golden brown and the custard is set around the outside edges but still slightly jiggly in the center, 40 to 45 minutes.
10. Cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours (and up to 24 hours) before slicing and serving.
NOTE:
To learn more about par-baking - check out this video!
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
