Italian Custard Pie Recipes

ITALIAN CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• First, make the custard. Whisk the egg yolks, 50g flour, milk, sugar and lemon zest in a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring continuously with a spatula, for 10 minutes or until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir the chopped white chocolate into the hot custard and mix until it has melted and the custard is smooth. Set aside to cool.
• Put the flour for the pastry in a mixing bowl, then add the butter and a pinch of salt and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Form a well in the centre of the mixture, then put the sugar, egg yolks and lemon zest in it. Briefly mix everything together by hand to form a smooth dough, adding a little extra cold water if it feels too dry (try to avoid working the pastry for too long, as you'll melt the butter - no one wants greasy pastry). Wrap the dough in cling film, then put in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes (or see Make Ahead).
• When ready to bake, heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 and grease a 23cm diameter fluted tart tin with butter. Divide the dough in half, then, on a floured surface, roll each piece into a 25cm disc using a rolling pin. Line the base and sides of the tin with one of the discs, pressing gently to fix it in place. Trim off any excess.
• Pour in the cold custard, then cover with the second pastry disc. Pinch the edges together with your fingers to seal the pie, trimming off excess pastry as necessary. Sprinkle over the pine nuts, then bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the pine nuts are well toasted.
• Remove the pie from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Remove from the tin, shave or grate over some white chocolate to decorate, then slice and serve. Recipe from https://www.amazon.co.uk/As-Romans-Do-Authentic-reinvented/dp/1784721387As the Romans Do: Authentic and reinvented recipes from the Eternal City by Eleonora Galasso

CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• In medium bowl, mix flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
• Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap flattened round of pastry in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
• Heat oven to 425°F. Roll pastry on lightly floured surface, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths and place in pie plate; unfold pastry and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side and being careful not to stretch pastry, which will cause it to shrink when baked. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with edge of plate; flute.
• Carefully line pastry with a double thickness of foil, gently pressing foil to bottom and side of pastry. Let foil extend over edge to prevent excessive browning. Bake 10 minutes; carefully remove foil. Bake 2 to 4 minutes longer or until pastry just begins to brown and has become set. If crust bubbles, gently push bubbles down with back of spoon.
• Reduce oven temperature to 400°F. In medium bowl, beat eggs slightly with wire whisk. Add sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, the nutmeg and vanilla; mix well. Gradually blend in hot milk. Pour filling into hot crust (to prevent spilling the filling, place pie plate on oven rack before pouring filling into crust).
• Cover edge of pie crust with pie crust shield ring or 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning; remove shield or foil during last 15 minutes of baking. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Cool on cooling rack 1 hour. Serve slightly warm or cold. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

OLD-FASHIONED CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°., Line unpricked crust with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake on a lower oven rack until edge is golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake until bottom is golden brown, 3-6 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack., In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk in remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into crust. Cover edge with foil. Bake at 400° until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

OLD FASHIONED CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large bowl whisk together eggs, sugar and salt.
• Slowly whisk in scalded milk a little at a time to prevent cooking the egg mixture.
• Stir in vanilla.
• Pour, through a sieve, into the unbaked pie shell.
• Sprinkle top with ground nutmeg.
• Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Filling will look wobbly but will set up as it cools.
• Chill thoroughly and serve with whipped cream.