Image Courtesy of Winnond, FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Looking for a quick and easy dessert recipe? This tasty custard pie requires just 5 minutes of preparation and about 30 minutes in the oven.
Custard pie is good dessert choice for those who are trying to eat more protein because eggs and milk are the primary ingredients. The proteins in eggs and milk have higher biological values and digestibility than proteins from other animal sources, which means that your body can use more of them (for more information on this, see Hoffman and Falvo, Macronutrient Utilization During Exercise: Implications for Performance and Supplementation).
Custard Pie Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar*
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/3 cups whole milk
- 1 (9 inch) pie crust
*If you prefer a sweeter pie, you can increase the sugar to 2/3 cup and this recipe will still work well (we prefer it lightly sweetened so we stick with the 1/2 cup of sugar). Also, this pie tastes particularly good when made with dark brown sugar, though this does affect the colour of the custard.
Custard Pie Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (245 degrees Celsius).
In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar together. Mix in vanilla, salt and nutmeg. Stir in milk. Pour into crust.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and bake for about 20-25 minutes longer, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set.
Note: The nutmeg will rise to the top of the pie – this is normal.
Tips
Baking the pie shell for a few minutes reduces the risk of soggy pie crusts (if you choose to bake the crust beforehand, let it cool completely before adding the filling). Glazing with egg white and then baking a few minutes more before adding the filling further reduces the risk of a soggy crust.
This recipe also works with honey – substitute just under 1/2 a cup of honey for the sugar. The texture will be a little softer and silkier, and you may have to bake the pie for a few minutes longer, but the flavour will be more rich and complex.
For more recipes, see the main Recipes page.