Custard cream pie with breadcrumb crust
Ingredients
FILLING (Lion's Bread inspired)
- 1 ½ cups (350 ml) heavy cream (about 330g depending on thickness, I used thick raw cream and a bit of crème fraiche)
- ⅔ cup (163 g, 160ml) whole milk yogurt
- 60 g honey I added half in the pot and half after I removed from heat
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest from 1 small lemon
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
CRUST (King Arthur inspired)
- 228g 5 1/2 cups stale bread cubes, from bread of choice to be toasted The breadcrumbs after toasting and blending should measure 140g to 160g, depending on the type of bread
- 6 tablespoons 85g unsalted butter, softened I mixed half semi-salted butter and half coconut oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons 33g light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, packed I used coconut sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, ommit if using salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 130℃ with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Arrange the cubed bread in a single layer on the lined baking sheet.
- Bake the bread cubes for 30-40 mins, or until bone dry and crisp. Will need to rotate the pan around halfway.
- Cool the bread cubes on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a food processor.
- Grind the bread cubes to the consistency of coarse sand, processing in batches, if necessary. Measure out 1 1/4 cups breadcrumbs (140g to 160g, depending on the type of bread).
- Increase the oven temperature to170℃.
- In a medium bowl, combine the crumbs, butter, sugar, and salt, stirring with hands until homogenous and evenly moist.
- Transfer the crust mixture to a Ø23 cm round tart pan. (If using a tart pan with a removable bottom, place it on a baking sheet first.)
- Using a metal measuring cup or flat-bottomed drinking glass, compress the crust, pressing firmly to form an evenly distributed crust roughly 0.75cm thick. Pack the sides first to ensure even distribution and prevent the bottom from being too thick.
- Bake the press-in pie crust for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is a shade darker than it was before baking. (Baked crust color will vary depending on the type of bread that’s used.)
Make the filling:
- Pour the cream, whole milk yogurt, and half the honey into a medium to large saucepan over medium heat. Cream bubbles up A LOT, so it's very important to use a bigger pan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, and then boil for another 4-5 minutes, stir frequently.
- Take the hot cream off of the heat, and added the fresh lemon zest, pinch of salt, and vanilla extract. It should still be very liquid-y, that's ok! It will set up.
- Pour the filling into the crust, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to allow the filling to set up.
- Just before serving, decorate the top of the tart with fresh berries and edible flowers, or poppy seeds, or pollen.
Notes
The filling is based on this recipe by Lion’s Bread.
Tips from the original King Arthur recipe the crust is based on:
-
Pair a sourdough crust with No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Pie; milk bread crust with a Classic Lemon Meringue Pie; chocolate milk bread crust with Banana Cream Pie; or cinnamon bread crust with Vanilla Chess Pie. (I should try this soon!)
-
To use this crust for a savory pie: reduce the brown sugar to 1 tablespoon and prepare as otherwise directed.
-
To make a quiche with a buttered toast crust: Prepare the crust using the savory tip (above). After baking the crust, keep the oven at 170 degrees celcius. Whisk to combine 3 large eggs with 1 1/2 cups (340g) buttermilk or milk. Scatter 3/4 cup cooked vegetables and/or meat and 1 cup (113g) grated Gruyère or mozzarella cheese evenly inside the prepared crust. Carefully pour the egg mixture into the crust and return the quiche to the oven to bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is set and light golden brown in spots.
Leave a Reply