Description
Creamy pistachio cream pie offers a luxurious dessert experience from Mediterranean kitchens. Rich nutty flavors and silky smooth texture invite you to savor each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (140 grams) raw shelled unsalted pistachios
- 3 cups (680 grams) milk
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup (30 grams) powdered sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsps (21 grams) cornstarch
- ½ tsp (3 grams) coarse kosher salt
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 tbsps (30 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (230 grams) heavy cream
- 2 tbsps (30 grams) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsps (30 grams) granulated sugar (optional)
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Crust Preparation: Pulse flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor. Incorporate cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then add egg and process into a cohesive dough ball.
- Crust Shaping: Roll out dough on a flour-dusted surface, transfer to pie plate, trim edges, and crimp decoratively. Pierce bottom with fork and freeze for 15 minutes to stabilize.
- Initial Baking: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line crust with parchment, fill with pie weights, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove weights and continue baking for 10 more minutes until golden, then cool completely.
- Pistachio Butter Creation: Process pistachios in food processor for 5-10 minutes until transformed into a smooth, oily paste, scraping sides as needed.
- Filling Preparation: Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Whisk in eggs, pistachio butter, and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and bubbles dramatically, about 8 minutes.
- Filling Refinement: Strain pudding through a fine mesh sieve, then fold in butter and almond extract until silky smooth. Pour into prepared crust and refrigerate for minimum 3 hours.
- Cream Topping: Whip cream cheese with sugar and vanilla until creamy. Gradually add heavy cream, beating until soft peaks form. Spread delicately over chilled pie and garnish with chopped pistachios.
- Final Chilling: Refrigerate pie until serving, maintaining freshness for up to 24 hours.
Notes
- Chill Butter Strategically: Cut cold butter into small cubes before incorporating into flour mixture for optimal flaky crust texture.
- Handle Dough Gently: Minimal handling prevents tough pastry; overworking develops gluten and creates dense crust.
- Monitor Pudding Closely: Constant stirring prevents scorching and ensures smooth, lump-free filling consistency.
- Whip Cream Precisely: Beat cream just until soft peaks form to maintain stable, airy topping without becoming grainy or over-whipped.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg