The workmen finally finished repairing the living room wall...the ants are gone and everything is back to normal...so I guess that means we've got another 5 years before we have to rip out the wall again. To celebrate the workmen leaving...and taking their butt-cleavage and various odors with them...I decided to make a traditional summertime dessert...it's also one of the mister's favorites and he needed to be sweetened up a bit before I mentioned the next house project we need to do...
This pie will look like it took a long time to make and will taste like it took a team from the CIA to create...which reminds me, when the girl was introducing her future husband to some of her friends they asked him what he planned to do in the way of work and he said he wanted to go to the CIA...they thought that was very cool...until he explained to them that he was talking about the Culinary Institute of America not the other CIA...back to the pie...don't let the looks or the taste deceive you...it's super easy to make. There are four steps...the pastry cream filling, the graham-cracker crust and the glaze for the top and time in the cooler.
The pastry cream is a modern marvel as far as I'm concerned...it's so good you'll be tempted to just eat it with a spoon right out of the bowl...you could use this cream for any kind of filling...eclairs, napoleons, crepes, cannaloni, tarts...or just eat it out of the bowl!
Any kind of fruit works too...I used blueberries and a nectarine but peaches or kiwi or strawberries would be most excellent too! The glaze is optional but it does help keep the fruit fresher a little longer so I always add it. Usually I use some kind of clear fruit juice - like apple or pineapple juice - but I didn't have any on hand so I used the juice from a can of fruit cocktail (the mister loves that stuff!) and it worked beautifully. The pie on the left (below) is unglazed - the pie on the right has the glaze on top.
Fresh Fruit and Cream Pie - Pastry Cream from Baking Illustrated
Pastry Cream Filling:
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt
5 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Graham Crust:
10 graham crackers
1 stick butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Glaze:
1 can (15 oz.) of fruit cocktail or canned peaches or cup apple juice, about 1/2 cup of syrup or juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Fresh Fruit:
1/3 cup fresh blueberries
1 nectarine, thinly sliced
To make filling: Heat the half-and-half, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds. When the half-and-half mixture reaches a full simmer, gradually whisk the simmering half-and-half into the yolk mixture to temper. Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula; return to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
To make the crust: Using a food processor, process the graham crackers until they are a fine crumb. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar and the melted butter, mix to combine. Press this mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch pie plate, using the flat bottom of a measuring cup to make the bottom and side even and smooth. Set aside.
To make the glaze: In a small saucepan, before turning on the heat, combine the syrup or juice with the cornstarch and mix well. Turn heat to medium-high and cook until mixture just comes to a boil and is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and lemon juice. Set aside to cool.
To assemble pie:
Pour cooled pastry cream into graham crust and smooth top. Add fresh fruit around the top of the pie. Pour cooled glaze over top of pie. Refrigerate for at least one hour or until pie is cold. Serves 8.
"I don't know much about being a millionaire, but I'll bet I'd be darling at it." Dorothy Parker
