Toasted Milk Pie

I've had a box of dry milk powder in my pantry for months.  I wanted to play with the idea of toasting the powder and using it in traditional desserts in order to give them a richer, nutty and caramel-y flavor.  I had little motivation to experiment in the kitchen when pregnant, so now that Baby Girl is here I'm dying to dive into my list of blog ideas and start having fun, so I immediately reached for that lonely box of milk powder to bring the idea of a toasted milk pie into fruition.

This pie has a traditional custard base with some cinnamon and nutmeg added, as well as the toasted milk powder that gives it more of a robust "grown up" taste.

Toasting the dry milk powder is a simple process.  You simply line a cookie sheet with parchment and spread the powder in a thin layer.  Then it gets baked at 300F for 6-9 minutes.  Don't walk away from your oven during this process as the powder can go from perfect to burnt really quickly!

It'll be a pretty golden brown when it's done and it will smell completely amazing.  Since the pieces are rather coarse fresh out of the oven, I used the back of a spoon to crush them into a fine powder before using them in the pie.  You can also toss them into a coffee grinder  for the same result.

Once baked, the pie should have the smooth and creamy texture of a custard pie.  The toasted milk powder will rise to the surface, creating a great nutty "crust."

This is just a little twist on a classic pie that adds a couple of new dimensions to the taste and texture of a long-time favorite.

Creating new recipes around a single ingredient or from the seed of an idea is one of the most fulfilling parts of being creative in the kitchen and sharing my recipes with all of you!

Toasted Milk Pie

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Erin Browne

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 9-inch deep dish unbaked pie crust (can use homemade or refrigerated)
• ⅔ cup + 3 TBS dry milk powder
• 4 large eggs
• ¾ cup white granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (can use vanilla extract)
• 2 ½ cups 2% milk
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• Ground nutmeg for sprinkling
• Whipped cream, optional for topping

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Instructions

1. First, the custard will be very thin before baking so be sure to use a sturdy pie dish and not one that is disposable and flexible, otherwise you may end up with a big mess when transferring to your oven!
2. Heat oven to 300F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread the milk powder in a thin layer. Bake in oven for 6-9 minutes, watching it constantly and stirring a few times, until the powder has a nutty caramel aroma and is golden brown.
3. Using the back of a spoon or a coffee grinder, crush into a very fine powder, ensuring there are no larger pieces that could end up in your pie. Set aside to cool.
4. Raise oven heat to 450F. Line your pie crust with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or uncooked beans or rice. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
5. Lower oven heat to 350F.
6. In a mixing bowl, using a fork or flat whisk, combine the eggs until just combined. You do not want to overmix them to the point of creating bubbles or foam.
7. Add the sugar, salt, vanilla paste, and cinnamon, stirring gently until combined. Lastly, stir in the milk powder and milk.
8. If your mixture is foamy or has a lot of bubbles, use a spoon to skim off the foam and pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove additional bubbles and any larger pieces of milk powder.
9. Pour custard into cooled pie shell and cover the crust edges with strips of aluminum foil or a pie shield. Sprinkle generously with ground nutmeg.
10. Bake for about 25 minutes, remove the foil, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. The pie should still be a little jiggly when you take it out of the oven and it will finish setting up as it cools. Cool on a wire rack, then store in the refrigerator. Serve chilled with whipped cream, if desired.

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