Classic Vanilla Cream Pie, Gluten Free

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the pastry

   Whisk the gluten-free blend, xanthan gum, sugar, and salt together in a wide bowl. Work in the cold butter until the largest pieces are pea-sized. Beat the egg yolk into the ice water, then add it to the bowl a tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork. The dough will feel slightly wetter and tackier than a wheat dough, which is correct. Press into a flat disc, wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or 2 if you have the time. Gluten-free flours need that long chill to fully hydrate; rolled too soon, the dough crumbles and tastes gritty.

2. 2

   Roll and shape

   Roll the disc between two sheets of parchment into a 12-inch round, peeling the top sheet off and relaying it as you go. Peel away the top sheet, invert the round into a 9-inch pie plate, and lift off the second sheet. Press any cracks together with your fingers, patching with scraps where needed. Trim to a 1-inch overhang, fold under, and crimp. Freeze 20 to 30 minutes.

3. 3

   Blind bake the shell

   Heat the oven to 400F. Line the frozen shell with parchment and fill to the rim with pie weights. Bake 20 minutes, remove the parchment and weights, then bake another 12 to 16 minutes. Gluten-free crust browns more slowly and needs to go further than you might expect; look for a bottom that is dry, sandy-looking, and set rather than merely pale gold. Cool completely on a rack.

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. 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, then 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. 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. The filling is thickened with cornstarch rather than flour, so it is naturally gluten-free as written.

8. 8

   Finish and strain

   Off the heat, whisk in the butter a piece at a time, then the vanilla. Push the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. It 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. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. An overnight chill also softens the crust's starches slightly, which takes the edge off any sandy texture.

10. 10

    Top and serve

    Whip the cold cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks. Spoon it over the chilled pie, swoop it into waves, and slice with a knife wiped clean between cuts. 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.