Classic Vanilla Cream Pie

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the pastry

   Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a wide bowl. Drop in the cold butter and work it in with your fingertips or a pastry blender until the largest pieces are about the size of peas and the rest looks like coarse meal. Sprinkle over the ice water a tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork after each addition. Stop as soon as a handful of the mixture holds together when squeezed; it should look shaggy, not smooth. Press into a flat disc, wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2. 2

   Roll and shape

   On a lightly floured counter, roll the disc into a 12-inch round, turning it a quarter turn every few passes so it does not stick. Drape it into a 9-inch pie plate and ease it down into the corners without stretching. Trim the edge to a 1-inch overhang, fold it under itself, and crimp. Freeze the shell for 20 to 30 minutes until firm to the touch, which is what keeps the sides from slumping.

3. 3

   Blind bake the shell

   Heat the oven to 400F. Line the frozen shell with parchment and fill it to the rim with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 20 minutes, then lift out the parchment and weights. If the base has puffed, prick it a few times with a fork. Return it to the oven for 10 to 14 minutes, until the bottom looks dry and the rim is deep golden. Cool completely on a rack. A pale, underbaked bottom will go soggy under the custard, so bake it further than feels comfortable.

4. 4

   Start the custard base

   In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the cornstarch and about a third of the sugar until smooth and pale. It will be thick and paste-like at first and loosen as you work it. Set the bowl on a damp towel so it stays put while you pour with one hand later.

5. 5

   Scald the dairy

   Combine the milk, cream, remaining sugar, and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Warm it, stirring now and then, until steam rises and small bubbles ring the edge. Do not let it boil.

6. 6

   Temper the yolks

   Ladle about a cup of the hot dairy into the yolk mixture in a thin, steady stream while whisking hard the whole time. Add a second ladleful the same way. Now scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan, whisking as you pour.

7. 7

   Cook until thick

   Set the pan over medium heat and whisk constantly, reaching into the corners of the pan. The mixture will thin slightly, then thicken all at once into a pudding. Keep whisking and let it bubble lazily for a full 60 to 90 seconds. That short boil is what cooks out the starchy taste and deactivates the enzyme in the yolks that would otherwise thin the filling overnight.

8. 8

   Finish and strain

   Pull the pan off the heat and whisk in the butter a piece at a time, then the vanilla. Push the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to catch any stray bits of cooked egg. The filling should fall from the whisk in a thick, glossy ribbon.

9. 9

   Fill and chill

   Pour the warm custard into the cooled crust and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface so no skin forms, then refrigerate at least 4 hours and preferably overnight. The filling needs that time to set firm enough to slice cleanly.

10. 10

    Top and serve

    Whip the cold cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla to soft, billowy peaks that just hold their shape. Spoon it over the chilled pie and swoop it into waves. Slice with a knife wiped clean between cuts, and serve cold.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  Full-fat dairy matters here. Skim or low-fat milk gives a filling that sets up chalky rather than silky.

• 2.

  If the custard turns lumpy as it thickens, take it off the heat and whisk hard for ten seconds; most lumps break up. The sieve catches whatever is left.

• 3.

  Save the egg whites in the freezer. Five whites is exactly the right amount for a meringue topping if you would rather go that route.

• 4.

  A tablespoon of dark rum or bourbon stirred in with the vanilla sharpens the flavor without reading as boozy.

• 5.

  For banana cream pie, line the baked shell with sliced ripe banana before pouring in the hot custard. For coconut, swap 1/2 cup of the milk for canned coconut milk and fold in 3/4 cup toasted shredded coconut at the end.

• 6.

  Whip the topping the day you serve it. Whipped cream weeps after a night in the fridge unless you stabilize it.

Equipment

• 9-inch pie plate
• Rolling pin
• Pastry blender or food processor
• Pie weights or dried beans
• Heavy-bottomed medium saucepan
• Balloon whisk
• Fine mesh sieve
• Offset spatula
• Electric mixer or hand whisk

Storage