When its summer, you like cool, creamy pies more than anything packed in beautiful pie boxes. The good news is that it is very easy to make these cream pies, they don’t require a lot of baking. Can you think of anything else rather a beautifully packed cream pie in pie boxes? Everybody likes them and the pie boxes give them an extra edge.Let’s just jump into the recipe to save your time as much as we can:
Step 1:
You can make the pastry dough from any recipe you like. Roll the dough and make it almost 1/8-inch in thickness. Use a toothpick to see the thickness of the dough at several spots. Place the dough in the pie pan. There are many ways of placing the dough into the pan without tearing it. An easy way is to fold the dough first in half and then in quarters, place it as it is in the pan and unfold it. Spread the dough almost 1 inch beyond the ends of the pie pan. Try the ends under and flute the edges for a nice-looking texture. You can use the fork to prick the surface of the pie crust to make it tastier and less bubbly.
Step 2:
Cream pies should be firm enough to keep their shape when cut and served. Combine the sugar, salt, besides flour in a pot. It is very important that the combination be completely and thoroughly mixed so that the sugar particles separate the flour and avoid lumping.Slowly decant the liquid into the sugar mix while moving.
Step 3:
Cook this mixture on medium to medium-high heat, stirring regularly until it has become thick and bubbly once the filling is bubbly, cook and stir for two minutes more. The continuous cooking will blend the sugary content in the cornstarch and give it a beautiful flavor.
Step 4:
Most of the times, egg yolks are used instead of the whole eggs. The egg whites can be saved for a meringue topping. The egg yolks should be tempered before adding to the pan. Whisk the yolks in a medium bowl until combined.
Take approximately one cup of hot filling mixture and pour it in a stream into the egg yolks while stirring. It will warm the egg yolks so that they will not curdle as they are poured into the hot mixture.Pour the egg yolk mixture into the rest of the hot filling while stirring constantly.Immediately cook it for two more minutes.
Step 5:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir the butter into the hot filling along with any extract you like. You can use a rubber spatula to scrape the pie filling into the cooled pastry shell.If you are going to top the pie with meringue, you should make it now.
Step 6: (Optional Meringue Topping)
Place the egg whites in a medium bowl. Four large egg whites will make a meringue to cover a nine-inch pie. For a larger, more generous topping, use five or six egg whites. Add one to 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar. Do not add sugar yet. Beat for about 1 1/2 minutes or until soft peaks form.
Do not over-beat.Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar gradually to the mixture as you beat. Beat for another four minutes or until stiff peaks form. Rub a little of the meringue between your fingers to make sure that the sugar is dissolved. You should not feel any grains of sugar between your fingers.With a spatula, spread the meringue topping on the pie. Push the meringue against the crust to seal the edges. (If the meringue is not anchored on the crust, it will tend to pull away from the crust in baking.)Bake the pie for 12 to 16 minutes or until the topping is a golden brown. Store the pie in the refrigerator. To cut the pie, first dip the knife in cold water; the meringue will not stick to a wet knife. Now, you can put your pies in the pie boxes of your choice and display it however you like.
