Description
Silky coffee custard pie marries rich espresso with creamy custard in a flaky pastry shell. Brazilian coffee notes and delicate spices create a dessert you’ll savor until the last delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cold and diced
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (28 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (56 g) powdered sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 cup (227 g) whole milk
- 1 cup (227 g) heavy cream
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ⅓ cup (70 g) brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (70 g) granulated sugar
- 1 heaping tbsp espresso powder
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pastry Preparation: Pulse flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor until evenly combined.
- Butter Integration: Add cold butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then introduce whisked egg until the dough forms a cohesive mass.
- Dough Resting: Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for two hours to develop flavor and improve texture.
- Crust Formation: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Roll out chilled dough and carefully line a 9-inch pie plate, crimping edges with precision.
- Blind Baking: Line crust with parchment paper, fill with pie weights, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove weights and bake an additional 5 minutes until crisp.
- Custard Base: Reduce oven to 325ºF. Warm milk, cream, brown sugar, espresso powder, and salt in a saucepan until tiny bubbles form around the edges.
- Egg Mixture: Whisk eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
- Custard Creation: Gradually temper the hot milk mixture into the egg blend, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Return to saucepan and cook until the custard thickens to 160ºF.
- Custard Refinement: Strain the mixture twice through a fine mesh sieve to ensure ultimate smoothness.
- Pie Assembly: Pour warm custard into the pre-baked chocolate crust, carefully eliminating surface bubbles.
- Baking Finale: Bake for 35-40 minutes, looking for a set perimeter with a slightly trembling center.
- Cooling and Serving: Cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate. Garnish with softly whipped cream and a light dusting of powdered sugar before serving chilled.
Notes
- Chill Dough Strategically: Refrigerate pastry for at least two hours to develop rich flavor and prevent shrinkage during baking.
- Temper Carefully: Slowly introduce hot milk mixture into eggs while whisking constantly to prevent scrambling and ensure smooth custard texture.
- Monitor Baking Precisely: Watch custard closely during final baking stage; a slightly jiggly center indicates perfect doneness and prevents over-setting.
- Strain for Silkiness: Double-straining the custard removes any potential egg bits, guaranteeing an ultra-smooth, luxurious filling.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Drinks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 414
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg