It’s pie time!
I’m not a big pie person but I am a *huge* fan of my go to pie crust. It has a wonderful place in both a quiche and a tomato tart in Bare Root Mornings and I swear it’ll change your grain-free life.
True to BRG style, this is not an overly sweet pie. I think a custard is better that way. If you or your guests prefer a sweeter dessert, I recommended topping with a sweetened whipped cream (I used an unsweetened whip here) and please don’t skip the Luxardo okkk.
Boozy Eggnog Custard Pie
Yields: 8 servings
For the crust:
- 4 tsp. gelatin
- 4 tbsp. filtered water, divided
- 1 ½ c. almond flour
- ½ c. arrowroot starch
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 3 tbsp. coconut sugar
- ½ tsp. almond extract
- 5 tbsp. butter, cold & cubed
For the custard filling:
- 4 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 c. milk of choice*
- ½ c. honey
- 2 tbsp. dark rum or brandy (optional)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. molasses
- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- ⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
Optional for serving: whipped cream, Luxardo cherries
Directions:
- Prepare the crust by adding the gelatin to 3 tbsp. of the filtered water. Stir and set aside to bloom.
- Add the almond flour, arrowroot starch, sea salt, coconut sugar, and almond extract to the bowl of a large food processor. Process until well combined. Add the gelatin in (ensuring all the water has had time to be absorbed) and process again to incorporate.
- Add the cubed butter to the food processor and pulse multiple times. About 5-8 times, or until the butter is broken up into small pea-sized pieces.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of water into the bowl 1 teaspoon at a time. Pulsing in between each and stopping when the dough has just barely begun to form a ball.
- Press the dough into a 9″ springform or tart pan with removable base. You can also use a pie tin but it may not give enough space to fit the full volume of custard. Move the pan into the freezer to chill while preparing the custard.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Prepare the custard by adding all the filling ingredients into a blender. Blend on high speed until well-combined.
- Once the crust has chilled enough to feel slightly firm to the touch (about 15 min), move it onto a large baking sheet, as shown above. This will catch any overflow or leakage and keep your oven clean.
- Note: the filling mix will have a temporarily increased volume due to blending. Allowing it to rest a few minutes will help it to fill the crust more accurately without overflowing.
- Pour the filling into the crust. It will fill the base completely, as shown above, so use caution. Cover with a large piece of foil while giving the surface of the pie room to breathe. This can be done by slightly tenting the foil in the middle before tucking it around the sides. Carefully move the pan to the oven.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-15, or until the top is golden and the center is only slightly jiggly.
- Allow the pie to rest a minimum 30 minutes before serving. Optionally serve at this point but it will be very soft. Allowing to rest 2+ hours will yield a more “set up” custard texture.
- It is best served warm so pop it back in the oven briefly before cutting if it has cooled completely. Top with whipped cream and a Luxardo cherry, as desired.
- Note: higher fat milks will give a better result, though they are not necessary. Examples include full fat dairy or coconut, macadamia, cashew, or hemp non-dairy milks. You could also use eggnog here for a bigger eggnog punch but it tastes wonderful without that 🙂
