POTS AND PANS CITY BLOG

Custard pies have always been a family favorite because of their smooth creamy texture.  Adding another flavor, like bananas, to the custard increases the flavor experience.  Custard pies can be served cold, as is, but are also great when topped with whipped cream (for another layer of extravagance). If you also add bits of shaved chocolate on top of the whipped cream, you will truly have a dessert that dreams are made of.

Sometimes, though, custard pies can be tricky to make.  Some can turn out lumpy and others watery.  One important tip with custard pies is that they must be kept well chilled if not eaten almost at once.  The eggs can be subject to adverse bacterial activity if not kept refrigerated, even if there is no apparent evidence of spoilage.  As a general rule, custard pies should be eaten within 3 hours of baking. They should then be refrigerated.

If you want to make a good custard pie, typically the piecrust needs to be baked at high heat to be flakey, while the custard filling requires a low heat.  The best way to deal with this problem is to partially pre-bake the piecrust. 

Use a high temperature, like 450° F, to start the pie crust baking.  You bake the pie crust at that temperature for about 10 minutes, then reduce the oven heat to 325° F.  The filling should be standing by and ready.  As soon as the pie shell has baked for the required 10 minutes, pull out the oven rack and turn the filling into the hot pie crust.  You can also remove the pie shell from the oven, fill it and then return it to the oven.  You must be quick, however, and return the filled pie to the oven at once without letting it cool too much.

With some custard pies you can cook the filling separately and then just before serving, spoon the cooled filling into a fully baked and cooled pie shell.  You can prepare and cook the custard filling over (not in) a pan of hot water. A good tip when pre-paring a custard filling is when the custard has thickened over the hot water, beat it until it is cool to allow the steam to escape, otherwise the steam will remain in the filling and it may become too watery.

The following is a recipe for a standard Banana Custard Pie.  As mentioned, you can top it with whipped cream or shaved chocolate for a more decadent treat.

Banana Custard Pie

PASTRY:

• 1 cup flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. white sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 ½ TBSP. cold water (approximately)

Add flour, salt, sugar and shortening in food processor.  Process in short bursts until ingredients are combined and has the texture of small peas.  Add cold water a little at a time.  Add only enough water to hold pastry together.  Shape into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for about an hour. 

While dough is chilling, prepare the pie filling.  Have it ready to turn into the hot pie shell at once.

FILLING:

• 3 ripe bananas
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 2 cups ½ + ½ cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Whipped cream sweetened with ¼ cup sugar

Purée bananas in blender or food processor until smooth.  In a large bowl, beat eggs.  Add puréed bananas and remaining ingredients.  Mix together until smooth.

After the dough has been chilling for an hour, unwrap and roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, about 1/8” thick shaping into a circle as you work.  Gently lay pastry in pie plate. Crimp the edges.  Prick pastry with a fork all over.  Bake at 450° F for about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 325° F and fill the shell while it is still hot.

Turn well mixed filling into prepared and partially baked pie shell.  Bake at 325° F for about 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.  Cool on rack.  Top pie with sweetened whipped cream before serving.