Page 190 - Pie It Forward: Pies, Tarts, Tortes, Galettes, and Other Pastries Reinvented

Vanilla Cream Pie

MAKES 1

(9- /23- )

. The gentleman on the other end of the line
asked, “Do you make cream pies?” Proud of my legion of offerings, I
said, “Of course!”
“Well, what kind?” he asked rather breathlessly.
“All kinds! Banana, coconut, strawberry, chocolate, caramel . . .”

“But are they cream pies? You’re not saying they are cream pies.”
“Uh, okay. Banana cream pie. Coconut cream pie . . .”
As I prattled on and on, the other end of the line became
disturbingly quiet. It took me far too long to figure out that the strange
man had no interest in actually ordering a pie.

Which is too bad, actually, because they are delicious little
confections and require a single base recipe upon which you can
create thousands of options. Just call me—I’ll go through the list for
you.

FOR THE CRUST
Quick Puff Pastry (page 22) ⅛ batch

FOR THE ASSEMBLY
Pastry Cream (page 35),
made with 1 tablespoon (15 1 batch
ml) vanilla bean paste
added during step 1, chilled

heavy cream 1 cup 240 ml

Procedure for the crust
1
. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll the dough into a rough 11-
inch (28-cm) round. Line a 9-inch (23-cm) pie plate with the dough,
crimp the edges decoratively, dock the bottom, and freeze for 20
minutes.