Description
A delightful Cranberry Custard Pie featuring a creamy custard filling infused with vanilla and almond extracts, complemented by a tangy homemade cranberry sauce. The pie is baked to perfection with a flaky crust and garnished with sugared cranberries, mint leaves, and orange zest for a festive touch.
Ingredients
Cranberry Custard Pie
- 1 refrigerated pie crust
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cranberry Sauce
- 1 (12-ounce) bag cranberries, rinsed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup orange juice
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Orange zest from 1 orange
Garnish (Optional)
- 1/3 cup sanding sugar
- Cranberries
- Mint leaves
- Orange zest
For Sugared Cranberries (Optional)
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar (divided)
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Prepare Pie Crust: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the refrigerated pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges. Add pie weights and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the weights and bake an additional 5 minutes until the center appears dry and lightly browned. Let the crust cool on the counter for 15 minutes.
- Mix Custard Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar until smooth and combined. Add the heavy cream, whole milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and sea salt. Whisk until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Fill the Pie: Pour the custard filling into the pre-baked pie crust, filling it but avoiding overfilling past the crust edges. Depending on your pie plate depth, you may not use all filling; this is normal.
- Season and Bake: Sprinkle ground nutmeg evenly over the custard surface. Tent the pie loosely with foil to prevent over-browning. Bake in the oven at 400°F for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. The pie is done when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean but the custard remains slightly moist and jiggly.
- Cool the Pie: Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely on the counter for about 1 hour.
- Prepare Cranberry Sauce: In a saucepan, combine rinsed cranberries, granulated sugar, orange juice, water, and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes. Mash the cranberries gently and continue cooking until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Stir in vanilla extract and orange zest.
- Assemble and Chill: Spoon warm cranberry sauce evenly over the cooled custard pie. If using, sprinkle with sanding sugar. Refrigerate the assembled pie for at least 4 hours to set completely.
- Garnish and Serve: Before serving, decorate the pie with fresh cranberries, mint leaves, and additional orange zest as desired.
- Optional Sugared Cranberries: To make sugared cranberries for garnish, prepare a simple syrup by heating 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves but not boiling. Let syrup cool slightly. Add 1 cup fresh cranberries to coat evenly. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cranberries to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Dry at room temperature for about 1 hour until sticky but not wet. Roll cranberries in remaining sugar to coat.
Notes
- Pie crust should be pre-baked (blind baked) to prevent sogginess from the custard filling.
- The custard will remain slightly jiggly when done; avoid overbaking to retain creamy texture.
- Depending on the pie plate depth, you might not use all the custard filling – this is normal.
- Let the pie chill for at least 4 hours after assembling for the best sliceability and flavor melding.
- Optional sugared cranberries add a festive look and sweet crunch as garnish.
- Use freshly grated nutmeg for optimum flavor.
- If you don’t have pie weights, dried beans or rice can be used for blind baking.
