The Best Pie You Have Never Tried

culled from:http://www.bonappetit.com

 

Sugar pie (sometimes called sugar cream pie) tastes like crème brûlée in pie format.  It’s rich and decadent and the filling requires just six ingredients (sugar, butter, half and half, vanilla, nutmeg, and cornstarch).  Tasting sugar pie, you might assume that it is loaded with eggs like a traditional custard – but it’s the cornstarch that gives this dessert its thick texture.  I’m a sucker for cheesy romantic plans and I love the idea of serving sugar pie to my sugar pie on Valentine’s Day.

Sugar pie is typically served with a basic butter crust.  However, I think everything is better with shortbread so I baked mine with a shortbread crust and only put the crust on the bottom of the pie (not up the sides).
Read more at http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2014/02/the-best-pie-youve-never-tried-skillet-sugar-pie.html#h6tW5vr3pPZWQKm1.99

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
• heaping 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Sugar Pie Filling Ingredients
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 cups half and half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Instructions

Shortbread Crust Instructions
1. Mix all shortbread crust ingredients by hand in a small mixing bowl until they just begin to stick together.
2. Grease two 5" skillets and press shortbread crust into the bottom of each skillet.
Sugar Pie Filling Instructions
3. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter on medium heat.
4. Once butter is melted, add cornstarch, sugar, and half and half.
5. Stir constantly until the mixture begins to boil and becomes thick and creamy. This should take about five minutes. You'll know it's ready as there will be a dramatic shift from a soupy liquid to something porridge-like.
6. Remove from heat and mix in vanilla.
Assembly and Baking Instructions
7. Preheat oven to 350 F.
8. Distribute filling evenly over shortbread crusts in the two prepared skillets.
9. Sprinkle nutmeg over the filling.
10. Bake for 40 minutes or until tops are set. The filling will still be a little jiggly, but it won't move very much if you shake the skillet.
11. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
12. Refrigerate overnight.
13. Serve cold straight from the skillet or cut into slices.