This recipe is not as complicated as it might sound. It is really quite simple to slip the cooked custard into the baked shell, thus producing that rare union of delicate custard filling and fully crisp crust. This pie has a comforting, soothing quality, and the maple syrup isn’t masked by other flavors.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Basic All-American Pie Dough for a 9-inch pie shell (page 20)
MAPLE CUSTARD FILLING
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 cup maple syrup
½ cup milk
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
TOPPING
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roll out the dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan, then trim and flute the edges. Bake the pie shell fully, following the instructions on page 22. Cool completely before filling.
Reduce the oven heat to 350°F. Coat another 9-inch pie pan, the same size and shape as the first one, generously with non-stick cooking spray. Have a large baking dish available that the second pie pan will fit into. Bring a kettle of water to a simmer.
To make the maple custard, combine the cream, maple syrup, and milk in a medium saucepan and place over moderate heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture is quite hot and you see wisps of steam rising, but do not let it boil.
Meanwhile, combine the eggs, egg yolks, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl and whisk briskly to blend. Continue whisking as you pour in the hot syrup mixture. Pour into the prepared pie pan (the one without the crust), then set the pie pan in the large baking dish. Pour about ½ inch of simmering water into the outer baking dish.
Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the custard is set around the edges but the center remains slightly trembly. A knife inserted slightly off-center should come out almost clean, or with traces of baked—not raw—custard on it. Carefully lift the pie pan from the water and set it aside on a rack to cool for at least 1 hour, or until the bottom of the pan is barely warm to your hand.
Close to serving time, slip a knife around the edge of the maple custard to loosen it, then shake the pan gently to dislodge it. Hold the far edge of the custard against the far edge of the baked pie shell, then jiggle the custard gently as you tilt the pan and slide it away, letting the custard slip from its pan into the pie shell. When the custard has been transferred, shake the pie shell gently to settle the custard. Don’t worry if it isn’t perfectly placed; the topping will cover any ragged edges.
To make the topping, whip the cream with the dry milk until it stands in stiff peaks. Add the maple syrup and whip until blended. Spread over the top of the pie.