Rosanna's Egg Nog Pie

EGG NOG CUSTARD PIE

PLAIN KANSAS

BY ROSANNA BAUMAN

Homemade egg nog is hardly to be compared with the prepackaged lines available in supermarkets.  Homemade egg nog has a different kind of sweetness and creaminess. The thicker and richer the cream, the better the nog tastes.   When the weather turns chilly and the turkeys for Thanksgiving have all been dressed and delivered, there are fewer outside chores to do so I have more time to spend in the kitchen. Since the most abundant fresh ingredients from our farm during the winter are eggs and milk I make a lot of milk and egg-centric dishes.  Egg Nog Custard Pie is not only perfect for the Christmas season but also combines my love of pie and egg nog.

Let's get a few things out of the way:

This is not a "fluffy pie"...I don't like my pies covered in meringue or whipped topping, so this recipe is my simplified version without the "fluff."

And don't you dare use a graham cracker crust with this.  Graham cracker crusts are not pie crusts, they are dessert crusts.  Use my pie crust recipe with this.

Also, if you have access to duck eggs, use them in place of regular eggs.  Duck eggs have a larger yolk to egg white ratio and a larger, rich yolk.  We sell duck eggs on our farm and take them to the market to sell.  Customers fight over them because we don't have as many to sell.  Our family gets to eat the cracked ones.  Once you eat a duck egg you won't want another kind.

 

ROSANNA'S BEST EVER PIE CRUST:

 Cut 1 cup of butter, shortening, or Butter Crisco into 3 cups of flour and a teaspoon of salt  until the mixture is crumbly. Stir  in ⅓ cup cold water, one Tablespoon vinegar,  and a lightly beaten egg.  if time allows, chill the dough, but if I’m in a hurry, I skip that step and there’s not much difference  if you use the shortening. Roll to desired thickness, put in pie pans. (1 like my crusts thick enough you don’t have to worry about them tearing.) Makes approximately  2 double crus

ROSANNA'S EGG NOG PIE

 

3 egg yolks (Jumbos or duck egg yolks are even more awesome)

1 /4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Can add a splash of maple extract to regular vanilla or I like to use vanilla nut extract

1 1 /2 cups heavy cream

1 /8 teaspoon nutmeg

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, nutmeg and vanilla until smooth.  Bring the cream to a simmer in a saucepan.  Slowly pour and whisk the egg yolk mixture.  Whisk continuously until combined.  Pour into an unbaked 9 inch pie shell.

 

Bake 400 for 10 mnutes and then redue to 350 for the remaining to 30 – 40 minutes or until pie is set.