Description
A silky, warmly spiced custard baked in a flaky crust, perfect for holiday dinners.
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust (homemade or store-bought; 9-inch) — blind-baked
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (or 1 cinnamon stick, steeped)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean, scraped)
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll out the crust and press into a 9-inch pie dish. Line with parchment and fill with weights. Blind-bake for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights; bake another 5 minutes until lightly golden. Let it cool.
- In a saucepan, combine whole milk, heavy cream, cinnamon, and vanilla. Heat until steaming; do not boil. If using a stick/bean, steep for 10 minutes and remove.
- In a bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and salt until smooth.
- Pour one-third of the hot milk mixture into the eggs while whisking. Continue adding the rest while whisking. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Reduce oven to 325°F (160°C). Pour strained custard into the pre-baked pie shell. Bake for 35–40 minutes until edges are set; center should jiggle slightly.
- Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set. Slice cold.
Notes
For a lighter version, swap half-and-half for heavy cream. Use pasteurized eggs for those with compromised immunity.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American