Rich and Velvety Custard Pie (2003 1st Place Custard Food Network)

By zircon50

Ingredients

• CRUST:
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 cup Crisco
• 2 Tblsp. powdered butter flavoring
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablsp. cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup ice water
• 1 egg white
• FILLING:
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 Tblsp. real vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. fresh, grated nutmeg

Preparation

Step 1

CRUST:
Mix all the dry ingredients together, and cut in the shortening to resemble course crumbs. Beat the remaining ingredients, except the egg white, together and add the flour. Stir only to incorporate. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and chill for several hours. Roll dough out and line pie dish. Bake crust halfway in a preheated 350 degree oven fo 20 minutes. Brush with the egg white, and bake an addtionsl 5 minutes.

FILLING:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scald the milk and half and half.

Mix egg, sugar, salt and vanilla together. Add the hot milk mixture.
Very carefully, pour through a fine strainer and into the pie shell, carefully filling to just below of pie crust edge. DO NOT OVERFILL, as egg mixture filling rises while baking. Grate nutmeg over the top of the filling.

Bake for 10 mins. in the bottom rack, and then move to the middle rack, and reduce heat to 325 degrees. Bake approx. 25 mins., or until knife inserted into the center comes out clean. It will continue to cook, after it is taken out of the oven. Cool on a rack.