This vanilla-flavoured, custardy cream pie can be left as is, or be flavoured in the tasty ways suggested later in this post.
Stay at the stove when making the filling. It requires constant stirring and your attention, or it might burn on the bottom. Tempering in the recipe means to bring the temperature of the egg mixture closer to the temperature of the hot ingredients. Doing so will help prevent the eggs from "scrambling" when both are completely combined.
Preparation time: 30 to 45 minutes (depends on if you make your own pie crust)
Cooking time: 10-12 minutes
Makes: 8 servings
For the pie crust
1 deep-dish store-bought or homemade pie crust (see recipe on page C3)
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Carefully line the pie crust with foil, and then fill with pie weights, raw rice or dried beans (see Note).
Bake for 30 minutes in the centre of the oven. Remove the foil and weights and bake five to 10 minutes more, or until the crust is light golden and dry in the centre. Set pie crust on a baking rack and set aside until needed.
For the filling
2 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 to 2 cups whipping cream, whipped and, if desired, sweetened to taste with icing sugar
Beat the eggs in a bowl until the whites and yolks are well blended. Mix in 1 cup of the milk. Set aside.
Combine the granulated sugar, flour and salt in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot. (My pot was eightinches wide, and fourinches tall.)
Add the 1 cup of remaining milk to the pot and whisk until smooth. Set the pot on the stove over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly.
Continue to whisk until smooth and very thick, about two minutes, and then remove from heat.
Temper the cold egg/milk mixture with 1/2 cup of the hot mixture, very, very slowing whisking the latter in. Slowly whisk the tempered egg mixture into the pot with the remaining hot mixture until well combined. Place the pot back on the heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and simmer two to three minutes, until the mixture thickens. (Mixture should be quite thick, but still pourable and spreadable.) Remove from the heat, stir in butter and vanilla, and let sit two minutes. Pour and spread the filing into the baked pie crust.
Cool pie on a baking rack to room temperature. Filling should set once cooled to room temperature; if not, refrigerate the pie to set.
When ready to serve, top and spread entire pie with whipped cream, or garnish individual portions with a dollop or piped spirals of it. Use 1 cup of whipping cream, whipped, for a more modestly topped pie. Go for 1 1/2 to 2 cups, whipped, if you like a more generous amount.
Note: If you use raw rice or dried beans when blind-baking the pie crust, you'll need about two cups. After using them, cool the rice or beans to room temperature, place them in bag and store them away until you need to blind bake a pie crust again.
CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE
Make basic filling and remove from the heat. When adding the butter and vanilla, also add 1/2-cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate completely melts. Fill and finish pie as described in the basic recipe. Garnish wedges of the whipped-cream-topped pie with a few chocolate chips, shaved chocolate, or drizzle of chocolate sauce sold at most supermarkets. For a special presentation, garnish each wedge of pie with a few berries and a mint sprig.
COCONUT CREAM PIE
Make basic filling and remove from heat. When adding the butter and vanilla, also add 1 cup of medium, unsweetened coconut flakes (does not have to be toasted). Fill and finish pie as described in the basic recipe, but garnish the top of the whipped cream with, in this case, toasted coconut. To toast the coconut, spread about 1/2 cup of medium, unsweetened coconut flakes on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake in 350 F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring a few times, or until the coconut lightly, and evenly browns.
BANANA CREAM PIE
Make basic or chocolate filling and cool until almost at room temperature, but still spreadable. Slice 2 medium bananas into a bowl. Toss in 2 tsp fresh lemon juice. Place banana slices into the bottom of the pie shell.
Pour and spread basic or chocolate filling over top. Finish as described in the basic recipe, but garnish the top of the whipped cream with a few slices of banana just before serving.
BUTTERSCOTCH CREAM PIE
Substitute 3/4 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar for the granulated sugar called for in the basic recipe. Also increase the butter to 3 tablespoons. Cook, fill and finish the pie in the same manner as described in the basic recipe. If desired, once topped with whipped cream, drizzle each serving of pie with a little caramel sauce, which is sold at most supermarkets.
FLAKY PIE DOUGH
This recipe is from my book Everyone Can Cook for Celebrations. The generous amount of shortening, and a touch of butter, makes an ultra-flaky crust.
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus chilling time
Cooking time: none
Makes: dough for 1 double-crust pie or 2 single-crust pies
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups cold vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg, beaten with 1/3 cup icecold water
Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. With a pastry cutter or 2 forks (or with the paddle attachment of your stand mixer), cut the shortening and butter into the flour until well blended. Pour the egg/water mixture into the bowl; gently work it until it forms a loose, moist dough that just holds together.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. With lightly floured hands, shape the dough into a ball. Cut the ball in half. Press each half into a 1/2-inch-thick disk. Wrap and refrigerate each disk for 20 minutes before rolling out. (If making only one single-crust pie, freeze the other dough for another time.)
To make a crust, unwrap one of the disks of dough and place on a lightly floured work surface. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough from the centre out into a round large enough to fit a 10-inch wide pie plate with a 4-cup capacity. Carefully unfold it and gently nestle it into the bottom of the plate. Don't worry if the crust breaks in places; simple press it back together. Crimp the top edges of the crust to create a finished look and trim off any excess dough from the side of the plate.
Refrigerate and firm up the pie crust 20 minutes and it's ready to blind-bake as described in the basic cream pie recipe
