Description
Crème brûlée pie merges classic French dessert elegance with American pie tradition. Silky custard nestles in a buttery crust, crowned with a glass-like caramelized sugar topping that shatters with each delightful spoon.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 6 egg yolks
- 2 vanilla beans, insides scraped out
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Finishing Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare the pie crust according to the traditional or gluten-free method, ensuring the dough is chilled and rolled out carefully to fit the pie pan. Trim and crimp the edges neatly.
- Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Blind bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15-20 minutes, removing weights for the final 5-8 minutes to achieve a golden finish.
- Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (150°C) and allow the crust to cool completely to room temperature.
- Create the custard base by gently heating cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a saucepan until it reaches a steep, aromatic point.
- Carefully temper egg yolks by gradually whisking the hot cream mixture into them, taking care to prevent scrambling. Stir continuously to create a smooth, silky custard.
- Pour the luxurious custard into the pre-baked pie shell, ensuring an even distribution and eliminating any surface bubbles with a gentle torch technique.
- Bake the pie for 35-45 minutes, watching for a subtle wiggle in the center while the edges set firmly.
- Allow the pie to cool at room temperature for one hour, then refrigerate for a minimum of four hours or overnight to achieve the perfect set.
- Just before serving, sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar across the surface and use a culinary torch to caramelize, creating a crisp, golden-brown topping that shatters beautifully when cracked.
- Slice and serve immediately to enjoy the contrast between the creamy custard and the crackling caramel top.
Notes
- Prep Ahead: Pie dough can be made up to 3 days in advance, giving you flexibility for hosting or baking.
- Crust Technique: Use parchment paper and pie weights to prevent the crust from puffing up or shrinking during blind baking.
- Egg Tempering: Slowly add hot cream to egg yolks to prevent scrambling, creating a smooth, silky custard base.
- Baking Precision: Watch for the perfect custard consistency – set edges with a slight wiggle in the center indicates ideal doneness.
- Caramelization Tip: Apply sugar evenly and use a kitchen torch for a crisp, golden-brown caramel topping just before serving.
- Chilling Matters: Refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours to allow the custard to set completely and develop rich flavors.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 210 mg