Ingredients
Scale
- 1 9-inch deep dish unbaked pie crust (can use homemade or refrigerated)
- 2/3 cup + 3 TBS dry milk powder
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (can use vanilla extract)
- 2 1/2 cups 2% milk
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg for sprinkling
- Whipped cream, optional for topping
Instructions
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Lower oven heat to 350F.
- 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.
- Add the sugar, salt, vanilla paste, and cinnamon, stirring gently until combined. Lastly, stir in the milk powder and milk.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
