American Heritage Baking—Let’s Bake and Learn
Make
Mine Maple!—An American Take on Traditional Custard Pie
by Nancy Baggett
I always gravitate toward traditional recipes as
Thanksgiving approaches, and pie is about as traditional as you
can get! From the time America’s first settlers had the resources
to bake pies, these dishes were popular everyday fare in the Colonies.
Early on, meat pies were as commonplace as custard and fruit pies,
and, surprising as it seems today, even sweet pies were served as
mainstays rather than dessert. As Colonial Williamsburg experts
explained to me, until the early nineteenth century, “dessert”
usually meant only dainty palate refreshers like sugared nuts and
fruit peels, candies, small cookies, frothy beverages, and other
light treats; filling dishes, whether sweet or savory, were set
out with the vegetables and meats.
Harriet Beecher Stowe expounded on the pie’s
esteemed place in our culinary culture in her 1869 novel, Oldtown
Folks: “The pie is an English institution, which, planted
on American soil, forthwith ran rampant and burst forth into an
untold variety of genera and species. Not merely the old mince pie,
but a thousand strictly American seedlings from that main stock,
evinced the power of American housewives to adapt old institutions
to new uses.” She then mentioned pumpkin and cranberry pies—both
are examples of how home cooks successfully incorporated indigenous
American ingredients into already existing baking repertoires.
Though I haven’t come upon an early custard
pie calling for maple syrup, it’s likely that somebody thought
up and baked such a recipe long ago. Colonists were well aware that
the sap of North America’s sugar maple trees could be turned
into an appealing sweet syrup. In 1703, Virginia’s Governor
Berkeley mentioned that the maple sap was “drawn out, by wounding
the Trunk of the Tree,” and through boiling was “made
into Sugar.” And American homemakers have been baking custards
in pastry shells, or “coffins,” for three or four centuries.
(The heirloom recipe in the sidebar is just one example.)
Pie doughs, which home bakers once called “pastes,”
were also in the colonists’ repertoire, and many heirloom
pastry “receipts” are still in use today. My recipe
is similar to the antique ones, but is updated so you can ready
it in a food processor. It’s also updated with a little baking
powder, a leavening agent that didn’t come on the scene until
the nineteenth century. The very small amount of baking powder called
for doesn’t fluff up the pastry or make it cake-like, but
helps counteract the natural shrinkage that often occurs in traditional
pie doughs. (The tablespoon of sugar isn’t for sweetness;
it helps keep the dough tender.) If you already have a favorite
old-fashioned pastry recipe, consider adding 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon
of baking powder for a slightly fuller, better-shaped crust.
The fat can be cut into the dry ingredients by
hand or using a food processor; both methods work well. Instructions
call for rolling out the dough between sheets of baking parchment,
which reduces the chance of over-flouring the pastry and makes cleanup
easy. However, if you prefer, it’s fine to roll out your pastry
the traditional way. The recipe is designed to make a single crust
to go with the custard pie below, but can be used for other pies,
too. For a two-crust pie, just double the recipe and divide the
dough in half. Then, shape each portion into a 5-inch disc and proceed.
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) chilled butter (preferably
unsalted) cut into 1/3-inch cubes
4 1/2 tablespoons plain white (or butter-flavored) vegetable shortening,
cut or spooned into 1/2 tablespoon portions
1 1/2 cups all-purpose white flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Generous 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 to 5 tablespoons ice water, approximately
Put the butter cubes and shortening pieces in the freezer while
the other ingredients are readied. To mix by hand, in a large
bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking
powder. Sprinkle the butter and shortening over the flour mixture.
Using a pastry blender, forks, or fingertips, cut in fat until the
mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few bits the size of small
peas remaining. Be sure to scrape up the flour on the bowl bottom.
(Alternatively, in a food processor, combine the flour, sugar,
salt, and baking powder. Process 10 seconds in on/off pulses to
mix. Sprinkle the chilled butter cubes and shortening pieces over
the flour mixture. Process in about 20 1-second on/off pulses just
until the fat is cut in and the mixture looks like coarse crumbs
with some bits the size of small peas remaining; stop halfway through
and stir to redistribute the contents. Turn out the mixture into
a large bowl.)
Using a fork, lightly stir 2 1/2 tablespoons ice water mixture into
the flour mixture, tossing until the water is evenly incorporated
and the mixture just begins to form clumps, about 15 to 20 strokes.
Be sure to reach to the bottom to ensure that the flour underneath
is dampened. Check the consistency by pinching a bit of dough between
the fingertips; it should hold together smoothly and be moist, but
not soggy. If it is crumbly or dry, two teaspoons at a time, sprinkle
over more ice water, tossing briefly with a fork. When the dough
is moistened sufficiently to hold together when pinched, gather
it up and knead gently to form a smooth mass. Shape and flatten
it into a 5-inch disc. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least
45 minutes and preferably 1 hour. Or chill for up to 48 hours (or
freeze for several weeks), if preferred.
Maple Custard Pie (printable
recipe)
Boasting a mellow flavor and faintly tawny color, this seems a perfect
pie for autumn. The custard is mild enough not to overpower the
maple taste, which is subtle but extremely enticing. The taste of
the real thing is milder than imitation maple flavoring, but so-o-o
much better.
Tip: In this and other baked goods, it’s best
to use medium or dark amber grades of maple syrup; they have a more
robust flavor and deeper color than the fancy, grade A light maple
syrup. They are usually less expensive, too!
1 recipe chilled All-Purpose Pie Dough
Filling
2/3 cup half-and-half or whole milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup maple syrup, preferably, medium or dark amber
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
To shape the crust: Lightly grease a regular (not deep-dish)
9-inch pie plate, or coat with nonstick spray. Unwrap the chilled
dough. If it seems too stiff to roll, let it stand to warm up just
slightly. Very lightly dust each side with flour. Lay the dough
between sheets of baking parchment. Roll out with a rolling pin
into an evenly-thick 13-inch round. Carefully peel off and discard
one sheet of paper from the dough round. Center the round, dough-side
down, in the pie plate. Gently peel off the second sheet and discard.
Adjust the position, smooth the dough into the plate, and patch
any tears, if necessary. Trim the pastry overhang to a generous
1-inch using kitchen shears or knife. Fold under the pastry overhang
to form an even edge that rests on the lip of the pie plate; crimp
with the fingers or decorate with the tines of a fork. Prick the
pastry bottom and sides with a fork. Loosely cover the pastry and
return to the refrigerator until cool and firm again, at least 15
minutes.
To par-bake the crust: Preheat the oven
to 400 degrees F. Insert a large square of nonstick aluminum foil
(or spray-coated regular foil) into the chilled shell, smoothing
the foil over the bottom and sides and folding it out over the rim
to cover the pastry. Fill the foil with dried beans or pie weights.
Set the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in the lower third
of the oven for 25 minutes. Very gently remove the foil and beans
from the shell. Continue baking until the shell is lightly browned,
about 5-8 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire rack.
To make the filling: Reset the oven to 325 degrees
F. In a medium non-reactive saucepan whisk together the half-and-half
and cornstarch until well blended and smooth. Whisk in the cream.
Heat, whisking, over medium-high heat until it boils and thickens
slightly, about a minute. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
Using a whisk, beat together the maple syrup, eggs,
salt, and vanilla in a large, heat-proof bowl until very well blended.
Whisking, very slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture
in a thin stream to avoid overheating (and possibly curdling) the
eggs. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into the pie shell.
To bake the pie: Place on a rimmed baking sheet in the middle
third of the oven; bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees
F., and continue baking until the filling appears set except in
the center when the pan is jiggled, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer
the pie to a wire rack until cooled, then refrigerate, covered,
at least 2 hours and up to 3 days before serving. Serve chilled,
cut into wedges. Add a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
