Description
Magical Christmas Eve Cinnamon-Vanilla Creamy Custard Pie merges classic holiday flavors with elegant dessert traditions. Warm spices and silky custard create a memorable finale you will savor with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups (600 mL/20.29 fl oz) whole milk
- ½ cup (120 mL/4.06 fl oz) heavy cream
- 1 ¼ cups (160 g/5.64 oz) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g/3.53 oz) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (115 g/4.06 oz) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ½ cup (50 g/1.76 oz) light brown sugar
- 4 tbsps ice water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- Cinnamon sugar (optional)
- Whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Pastry Preparation: Blend flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut chilled butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water gradually, forming a cohesive dough. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Crust Formation: Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Roll out chilled dough on a floured surface and drape into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim edges and create decorative crimped borders. Line with parchment paper, fill with ceramic weights, and blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and continue baking for 5 more minutes until golden. Cool completely.
- Custard Creation: Gently heat milk and cream until steaming. Whisk eggs, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth. Gradually temper the hot dairy into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling and create a silky custard base.
- Baking Process: Pour custard into the pre-baked pie shell with precision. Reduce oven temperature to 325F (165C). Bake for 40-50 minutes, watching for a set edge with a slight center jiggle. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
- Finishing Touch: Refrigerate pie for at least two hours to set completely. Before serving, optionally dust with cinnamon sugar or top with whipped cream for a festive presentation.
Notes
- Prevent Crust Shrinkage: Chill the pie dough thoroughly and avoid stretching when transferring to the pan to maintain its shape during baking.
- Avoid Custard Curdling: Temper eggs slowly by adding hot milk in a thin stream while whisking constantly to create a smooth, silky texture without scrambling.
- Master Custard Doneness: Watch for subtle jiggle in the center – the custard should wobble slightly when gently shaken, indicating perfect baking without overcooking.
- Customize for Dietary Needs: Swap regular milk with almond or coconut milk for lactose-free version; use gluten-free flour blend for a celiac-friendly pie crust.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 305
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg