Apple And Egg Custard Pie Recipe

There are plenty of sweet treats to make with apples, but chances are you tend to stick with your tried and true favorites. While we love remaking winning dishes, it's equally fun to explore new ideas. Daily Meal recipe developer Deniz Vergara shares this apple and egg custard pie that tastes both familiar and novel. She's also pleased about adding a variation to her usual baking repertoire and remarks, "It is a nice way to switch up the typical custard pie or apple pie!"

A rich custard is a decidedly unctuous filling to complement the fruit, and it leaves every bite feeling silky smooth in your mouth. "I love how this dish incorporates an ultra-creamy custard with fall-spiced apples," Vergara shares. This is a great dessert to serve guests at your next dinner party. Just be sure to set aside enough time to allow the pie to cool and fully set before serving.

For this recipe, get a premade unbaked pie crust, large eggs, sugar, sea salt, vanilla extract, heavy cream, whole milk, freshly ground nutmeg, and cinnamon. As for the fruit filling, you'll need unsalted butter, apples (peeled, cored, and thinly sliced), sugar, cinnamon, and freshly ground nutmeg.

Vergara notes, "Honeycrisp are my favorite apples to use, but you can use any variety that is crispy and a combination of sweet and sour," and lists, "Braeburn, Gala, Jonagold."

Preheat the oven to 375 F and place the rack in the middle of the oven.

Unroll the pre-made pie dough and place it in a pie dish.

Line the pie dough with a piece of foil and then add pie weights (you can also use or dry rice or beans), making sure to push pie weights to the edges.

Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment and pie weights and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the bottom of the pie crust looks dry (this is so the custard filling doesn't seep through.) Allow to cool completely.

While the pie crust is baking, make the apple filling. Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the apples sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and sauté until the apples are soft and bendable but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Lower the oven temperature to 325 F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt and eggs, being sure not to overmix and create air bubbles.

Add in the milk, cream, and vanilla, and whisk just until combined.

Strain the mixture twice through a fine-mesh strainer, removing any coagulated bits of egg.

Arrange the apples over the bottom of the fully cooled, pre-baked crust.

Carefully pour the filling into the baked pie shell. Grate ½ teaspoon nutmeg over the top of the pie and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon.

Bake on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes, or until the custard has set nearly all the way through. The center will still be jiggly, like jello. The pie should have a temperature of 180 F.

Remove the pie from the oven, and place it on a rack to cool. When it's completely cool (about 2 hours), refrigerate until you're ready to serve.

If you're used to reheating an apple pie shortly before serving it, you'll be glad to know that's one step you can skip with this apple and egg custard pie recipe. "I serve this for dessert cold," Vergara explains, adding, "I know it may sound odd, but custards are served cold." If you're looking for a final touch to garnish each slice, Vergara has a delicious suggestion: "I like to drizzle them with caramel to finish it off!"

Once you've served everyone and satisfied your sweet tooth, you'll want to put anything extra away until you're ready to have more. Due to the nature of the custard, Vergara instructs to "store leftovers wrapped tightly in the fridge for up to 3 days." You can take the pie out shortly before serving the rest, but remember that it tastes best chilled.

If you've never made custard before, it might sound a bit intimidating. Thankfully, Vergara has some advice to make anyone feel prepared. "My tips for first-time custard makers is to take your time and be sure to use a thermometer! It's the only way to know exactly when the custard is ready," she emphasizes. If you regularly cook and bake, it's a small investment that can make the difference between success and failure (or at least an imperfect result).

Regarding the temperature, Vergara warns, "It is important to not overcook this or you will have a scrambled egg texture. Remove from the oven when the temperature reads about 170-175 F because it will continue to cook from the residual heat." In case you're winging it without a trusty thermometer, she describes the optimal consistency, too. "The pie will still be jiggly — like jello in the center," she notes, adding, "but not liquidy."