Page 415 - Pie Squared

from the heat, cool for 7 to 10 minutes (to 145°F) so the eggs won’t
scramble. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated and

no yellow streaks remain. Add the lemon juice, vanilla, cardamom,
and salt, stir well, and fold in the walnuts and pistachios. Use a
flexible spatula to scoop all the filling into the bottom crust. The filling
will be sticky and gooey. (Hint: To clean the saucepan, fill with water

and bring to a boil.)
Fold the overhanging dough of the bottom crust inward toward the
center of the pan to form a wall, using the Three-Finger Crimp (see
here) to make a double-thick crust that stands up above the rim of

the pan. Using cookie cutters or a sharp knife, stamp out cutouts
from the top crust. Create an openwork pattern across the surface.
We used leaf cutouts. Whisk the yolk and water together and use a
pastry brush to paint the cutouts so they will be crispy and glistening.

Slide the pie into the oven (on top of the steel, stone, or baking
sheet if using) and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Check the pie
frequently for signs of cratering, when large bubbles form in the
center of the pie as a result of the bottom crust rising. Poke the

bubbles with a skewer or the sharp tip of a knife and watch them
deflate. If you miss the crater and it rises up without a puncture,
when it deflates, as the pie cools, the surface may be a little lumpy
but the pie is still edible.

Cool for 15 minutes. Use a heated knife, wiping it clean between
cuts to portion the pie. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature
with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.

Techniques: Cream Cheese Crust (here), Mixing and Rolling Out
(here), How to Toast Nuts (here), Crimp and Slash (here), Lattices,
Cutouts, Stamps, and Shapes (here)

Swaps:

Of course, phyllo dough (see here) is a natural crust for the filling,
but All-Butter (here) or Butter and Shortening Crusts (here) are
suitable, tender alternatives.

By weight, substitute toasted pecans, hazelnuts, pine nuts,