Description
This Christmas Eve Cinnamon-Vanilla Creamy Custard Pie brings festive comfort to holiday tables with rich, silky layers of pure indulgence. Warm spices and delicate vanilla create a memorable dessert that celebrates seasonal traditions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups (600 ml) whole milk
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3 tbsps ice water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- Pinch of salt
- Cinnamon sugar (optional)
- Whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation: Calibrate oven to 350°F (175°C) and arrange pie crust in dish, ensuring neat edges and optional pre-baking for moisture prevention.
- Custard Base Formation: Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and smooth, creating a uniform foundation for the creamy dessert.
- Flavor Integration: Blend heavy cream, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt into egg mixture, whisking continuously to develop a rich, aromatic custard with harmonious flavor layers.
- Pie Assembly: Pour custard into prepared crust, distributing evenly and eliminating potential air pockets for a silky, consistent texture.
- Baking Process: Bake for 40-45 minutes until custard sets completely, verified by clean knife test and stable center appearance.
- Cooling and Flavor Development: Allow pie to cool at room temperature, enabling custard to stabilize and flavor profiles to intensify.
- Chilling and Serving: Refrigerate for minimum 2 hours to enhance flavor melding, then garnish with optional dusting of cinnamon or powdered sugar for elegant presentation.
Notes
- Whisk with Precision: Thoroughly blend eggs and sugar until pale and smooth to create a uniform, silky custard base that ensures a creamy texture.
- Temperature Control: Allow pie to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set properly and develop rich flavor depth.
- Prevent Soggy Crust: Pre-bake pie crust briefly or use a pie shield to maintain a crisp bottom and prevent moisture absorption from the creamy filling.
- Avoid Overbaking: Watch custard carefully during the final 10 minutes of baking; a clean knife inserted near the center should come out clean but not completely dry to maintain a delicate, creamy consistency.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 372
- Sugar: 21 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 104 mg