Food & Wine (November 2011)
As we were selecting the dishes to make for our Fakesgiving, this Apple Cider Cream Pie was one of our earliest picks. Not only did it look delicious, but the recipe in Food & Wine has an accompanying essay by Samantha Bee, which is what initially got us to really focus on this recipe.
We adore Samantha Bee. Her segments on The Daily Show are hilarious. When she talks, we laugh.
And when she said she loved this pie, we listened.
Choosing a pie recipe because a comedian says she loves it is obviously not the best way to pick a recipe. (Would you try Dane Cook's Bourbon Pecan Pie? Or Sarah Silverman's Banana Cream Pie?)
But in this case, it was a good gamble. This is actually our first time making a cream pie. In the recipe, an apple cider-spiked custard is baked in a pie crust, then topped with cinnamon whipped cream. As you can see, we topped it with baked apple slices, as the magazine suggests.
(To make our apple slices, we sliced apples very thinly using a mandoline, placed the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and baked them at 300 degrees until they were just beginning to brown, about 25 minutes. We then cooled them on wire racks, allowing them stiffen.)
We made one small but significant change while making the pie. We baked the custard and applied the recipe's recommended amount of cream. But it didn't feel like enough. We wanted a great big cloud of whipped cream sitting on top of the pie. So we quickly made a second batch and added it on top. We're glad we did. The cream is delicious and the extra whip made the pie look better aesthetically. We do, after all, first eat with our eyes.
We love this pie. It's perfect for fall and the Thanksgiving table. So thanks, Samantha Bee! And who knows? Maybe we should try a pie from Dane Cook...
Apple Cider Cream Pie
Food & Wine (November 2011)
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(This photo: Food & Wine)
- ACTIVE: 45 MIN
- TOTAL TIME: 3 HRS PLUS COOLING
- SERVINGS: 8
CRUST
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice and chilled
- 3 tablespoons cold milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
FILLING AND TOPPING
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
MAKE THE CRUST
In a food processor, combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse in 1-second bursts until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine the milk and vinegar and drizzle it on top. Pulse in 1-second bursts until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather up any crumbs and pat into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to an 11-inch round, a scant 1/4 inch thick; ease it into a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate. Trim the overhanging dough to 1 inch and fold it under itself. Crimp decoratively and chill the crust until firm, about 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in the lower third of the oven for about 15 minutes, until the crust is barely set. Remove the parchment and pie weights. Cover the edge of the crust with strips of foil and bake for about 15 minutes longer, until the crust is just set but not browned. Press the bottom of the crust lightly to deflate it as it puffs; let cool. Lower the oven temperature to 350°.
MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FILLING AND TOPPING
In a medium saucepan, boil the cider until it's reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Whisk in 3/4 cup of the sugar, the sour cream and salt, then whisk in the eggs.
Pour the custard into the pie shell without removing the foil strips. Bake the pie in the lower third of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custard is set around the edge but the center is slightly jiggly. Let the pie cool completely.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and the cinnamon until firmly whipped. Mound the cream on the pie, cut into wedges and serve.
MAKE AHEAD
The recipe can be prepared through Step 5 and refrigerated for 2 days.
SERVE WITH: Baked apple slices.
