Tag: custard

Filled with  rum and raisins, creamy custard and whipped cream, this pie should be kept as far from your low-fat New Year’s resolution as possible — which is why it’s a perfect dessert for June. If you’re still determined to stick to your diet, save calories by skipping dinner (or lunch or breakfast) entirely and just have the pie.

The Crust

 The Zen Master’s Pie Crust for a single crust pie, blind baked

The Filling

1. 3 cups heavy cream, plus
2. ⅔ cup for serving
3. ⅔ cup granulated sugar
4. 4 large whole eggs, plus
5. 2 large egg yolks
6. ¼ tsp salt
7. ¼ cup dark rum
8. ¼ cup golden raisins
9. ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar

Preheat the oven to 400°

 

Pour the cream into a medium saucepan

 

Cook until it just begins to boil, then remove from heat

 

Whisk together the sugar, whole eggs, egg yolks and salt

 

Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the hot cream until combined

 

Pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan

 

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 10-12 minutes

 

Stir in the rum

 

Remove from heat and set aside

 

Unstick any stuck-together raisins, and line the bottom of the cooled tart pan with them

Slowly pour in the custard

 

Bake 20-25 minutes (rotating the pie half way through) until the middle is set

 

Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely

 

Just before serving, combine the remaining ⅔ cup cream and confectioner’s sugar

 

Beat until soft peaks form

 

Serve slices of pie with a dollop of whipped cream

 

The pie can be chilled, covered loosely with plastic wrap for up to 3 days, meaning encourage everyone to have seconds

Understanding the three critical steps of the custard: making the milk mixture, simmering it to the right temperature, then adding it gradually to the egg yolks so they don’t scramble is the key to cream pie. The rest is folding, combining, and the really hard part: waiting for it to chill! (Same with people).The Zen Master’s Pie Crust for a single crust pie

Custard Filling

1. 1 large whole egg, lightly beaten plus 4 large egg yolks
2. 3 cups whole milk
3. ⅔ cup granulated sugar
4. 5 tbs cornstarch
5. ¼ tsp salt
6. 6 oz semisweet chocolate
7. 1 cup heavy cream
8. ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
9. Chocolate curls or shavings for garnish

In a large bowl, prepare an ice bath (ice cubes and cold water), set aside

In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, set aside

In a saucepan, whisk together the milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt

Bring to a simmer, not a boil, and cook, whisking constantly, 3-4 minutes

Whisk a quarter of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks

Whisk in remaining milk mixture

Strain into a clean saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the custard is thick and bubbles appear in the center, 2-3 minutes

Transfer to a medium bowl, set aside

Melt 4 oz. of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or heat proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (but don’t let the bowl touch the water), or in the microwave

Swirl the melted chocolate into the custard

Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming

Set into the ice bath until completely chilled, 30-35 minutes (or in the fridge up to 1 day)

Melt the remaining 2 oz. of chocolate

Stir until smooth, and set aside until cool to the touch, stirring occasionally

Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of the cooled crust with melted chocolate

Put in the fridge or freezer until firm to the touch, about 10 minutes

Fill the prepared pie crust with custard, spreading evenly with an offset spatulaIn the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the heavy cream and confectioner’s sugar

Beat on med-high until soft peaks form

Using the offset spatula, spread the whipped cream on top of the custard

Refrigerate pie at least 3 hours before serving

Garnish with chocolate curls or shavings

Penelope’s friend Neel (the brilliant Art Director who does all the Penelope Pies art) comes from South Africa, where his Ouma (pictured here) made the most incredible Melktert. Neel is of Boer descent, the Dutch settlers who came to Africa in 1652 and then promptly trekked their way up to the Transvaal because they were as independent as they were original, and not incidentally, terrific bakers. In fact, among Boer women, melktert making wasn’t just competitive, it was almost a contact sport.

Puff Pastry*

1. 13 ounces all-purpose flour
2. 1½ tsp (7 ml) salt
3. 3 oz cold unsalted butter, cut in bits
4. 7 oz cold water
5. 10 ounces unsalted butter, softened

In a food processor, combine the flour, salt and (3 oz) pieces of cold butter

Process until a coarse meal is formed

With the processor running, slowly add the water

Turn the machine off as soon as the dough comes together to form a ball

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface

Knead the dough a few times by hand, rounding it into a ball

Wrap the dough tightly in plastic and chill overnight

Take the dough from the fridge and roll in the remaining butter

Note: It’s important that the dough and the second lot of butter be of almost equal consistency; if necessary, allow the dough to sit at room temperature to soften or chill the butter briefly to harden

On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough, using a dry pastry brush to brush away any flour from the dough’s surface

*But seriously, buy it. Almost every recipe that includes puff pastry suggests using pre-made puff pastry sheets. Just don’t tell Neel’s grandmother if you want a warm reception in Johannesburg.

Ingredients

1. 1½ tsp butter
2. good pinch salt
3. 1 stick cinnamon
4. 3 cups boiling milk
5. 2 tsp custard powder
6. 3 tsp corn flour
7. 3 tsp cake flour
8. 2 tsp cold milk
9. ½ cup sugar
10. 4 large eggs, separated
11. ½ tsp almond essence
12. cinnamon and sugar

The Filling

Combine the butter, salt, cinnamon and boiling milk

Combine the custard powder, corn flower and cake flour into a paste with the cold milk, then stir in a little of the hot milk mixture

Stir the custard mixture into the hot milk

Add 4 tsp of the sugar and bring to a boil, stirring continuously

When the mixture has thickened, remove from the stove and discard the cinnamon

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry

Gradually beat in the remaining sugar

Beat the egg yolks lightly and add a little of the custard mixture to the egg yolks

Stir the yolk/custard mixture into the main custard mixture and add the almond extract

Fold in the egg whites, being careful not to beat but add with a gentle folding motion

Pour the mixture into the pastry shells and bake for about 10 minutes

Lower the temperature to 350° and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the filling has set

Cool slightly and sprinkle the top of the custard with cinnamon and sugar

Serve cold

This pie is not only a Southern classic because it’s good, basic comfort food, it’s inexpensive and got a lot of people through the Great Depression (especially around Thanksgiving.) It also got Roberta Michaels, originally from Albany, through a depression of her own when she was fired from her job in Manhattan, could barely cover the rent, and had no money for a house gift for her most judgmental college friend, who had just moved into a mini-manse in Ossining, NY with her lawyer husband. About to give up and make some excuse not to go, Roberta remembered that Jeffrey was from Atlanta. That and an episode on the Food Channel gave her an idea. She went all out on the pie plate because even a great one was do-able, made a grits pie and headed for Grand Central Station. Claire was a little taken back with the gift but Jeffrey was just charmed. He was really a regular guy whose grandparents had been through the bad times in the nineteen thirties. Maybe his wife had become a little full of herself lately, but he never forgot where he came from. He could see Roberta wasn’t the type to, either. All in all, it turned out to be a pretty wonderful evening.

Down Home Grits Pie

Penelope’s Ultimate Pie Crust or your own favorite. Or better yet, buy one frozen. Paula Deen did on her Food Channel segment.

Make the pie crust or defrost a frozen one

If you’re making one from scratch, place the crust in a 9 inch pie pan

Preheat the oven to 325°

1. 1 cup water
2. ¼ cup quick cooking grits –
   (not instant, but not the long cooking kind either)
3. 1 stick butter
4. ¾ cup sugar
5. 2 tbs flour
6. 1 tsp vanilla
7. 3 eggs, lightly beaten
8. ¼ cup buttermilk
9. whipped heavy cream

Boil the water; add the grits and stir constantly, about 4 to 5 minutes

When it’s totally smooth, take it off the heat and add the butter

When the butter is all melted in, put the pan back on the heat and stir again until the mixture is creamy.

The Custard

In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, flour, vanilla, eggs and buttermilk

Using the empty buttermilk cup, in three or four sessions, slowly pour one cup at a time into the custard mixture so that the eggs in it don’t heat up and scramble

Once the mixtures are combined, pour the filling into the pie crust

Be careful to keep the pie pan level as you’re putting it into the oven so it will bake evenly

Bake about 40 minutes, depending on the heat of your oven; cool completely

Top with whipped cream in dollops around the center

From Paula Deen’s recipe on the Food Channel.