On to the topic at hand... Custard Pie! This is the first pie I've ever made from scratch. Ever. I found the basic recipe in a cookbook of my roommates, "Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book" (updated for the 90s!), and edited it little by little from there.
First, the crust.
- 1 1/4 c flour
- 1/3 c shortening
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 c cold water
In a medium size mixing bowl, cut the shortening into the flour and salt. Then add the water 1 T at a time, mixing with a fork after each tablespoon added.
You're supposed to use a pastry blender to cut the
shortening, but, alas, I don't own one. Instead,
I improvised. What did I use, you ask? Potato masher.
Form the dough into a ball, then flatten onto a lightly floured surface.
Roll out dough until it's about 12 inches in diameter.
Here again was a need for me to improvise. I don't
own a rolling pin. And didn't know if my roommates
had one. What did I use?
Ah yes, my trusty bottle of Jameson...
After the dough is rolled out, roll it onto the rolling pin (or Jameson), and transfer over to your pie dish.
Then you want to push the crust down so it lays flush against the pan. Then trim the outside edge so that it only overhangs about half an inch. Then you'll want to fold the excess under (to build up the crust). Also, generously prick the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork. Here you can decided to fork the edges or form the edge in some other way.
I decided on a nice fluted edge... simple to make, way
cuter than just pressing a fork into the crust.
Bake at 450 degrees for 6 minutes, then take out of the oven.
Moving on to the filling!
- 4 eggs
- 2 1/2 c milk
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1 t vanilla
- 1/2 t almond extract
- 1 pinch salt
- pinch of pumpkin pie spice
Whisk eggs until well mixed. Add sugar and vanilla, mix well. Slowly add milk.
The recipe then suggests that you put the pie crust on the oven rack before you fill it, to help avoid spills.
Unfortunately, my oven appears to be slightly off balance,
especially when one of the oven racks is pulled out.
So... spills.
Sprinkle pumpkin pie spice over top, and put aluminum foil around the edges of the crust to prevent burning.
I know, I know, it looks like a mess... you try putting
foil around a pie pan in a hot oven with a liquid
center without spilling all over the place!
Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven, remove foil, then bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle of the pie comes out clean. Basically, if you jiggle the oven rack or the pie pan, and the middle still looks liquidy, it needs to stay in a little longer. Wait for it to cool, and enjoy!
Now, I had a few snafus in making this pie... because of all the spills, and the generally odd suggestion of pouring the filling and wrapping foil around the pan with the pie in the oven (and therefore the preheated oven stayed open), I'm pretty sure the oven was nowhere near 350 when I actually closed the door to bake. I removed the foil 20 minutes later, and half an hour after that, the custard was still loose. I returned to check every 10 minutes, and maybe a half an hr later, it finally seemed ready to come out. The knife came out clean, and it didn't look or feel too giggly.
Sadly, after letting the pie cool for about a half an hour... it tasted kinda like raw egg. So... I tried to put the pie back in the oven. After an extra half hour in the oven, it still tasted way to eggy. I rate this recipe a fail. :(
Update! After last week's success with the Maple Nutmeg Cream Pie, I think I'd be open to trying this recipe again. I'd bake ow, then turn up the heat to finish. Also, maybe let cool completely in the fridge before sampling. Who knows? Maybe it'll work next time!
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