Who says cranberries are just for Thanksgiving? With this combination of bright and tangy cranberry orange compote over sweet and creamy vanilla custard, you will want to eat them all Winter long. The acidity from the compote is balanced out by the custard – perfect. The gorgeous bright red color makes it great for the holidays, as well.
You can make the two components of this pie separately, chill them, and assemble when ready to serve. That makes traveling to a holiday potluck much easier. For the compote – combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice and zest in a pot and simmer until the cranberries start to burst. Transfer to a container and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
For the pie – prebake a pie crust, then fill with a custard made from flour, sugar, milk, egg yolks, butter, and vanilla. Bake until set, cool completely, then chill for at least a few hours and up to 2 days. Spread the cranberry mixture over the custard pie just before serving.
Cranberry Custard Pie
adapted from Real Simple
1 recipe flaky piecrust or 1 prepared piecrust
all-purpose flour, for rolling
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp fine salt
1 3/4 cups whole milk
5 large egg yolks, beaten
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp grated orange zest
2 tbsp orange juice
pinch fine salt
Prepare the piecrust: Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle on a floured work surface. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the dough to a 1-inch overhang and tuck under itself to form a thick rim; crimp the edge. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 350 deg F. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork. Line the dough with a piece of foil, leaving an overhang all around. Fill with dried beans or pie weights and bake until dry, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the beans and foil, allow to cool slightly.
Make the custard: Reduce oven to 325 deg F. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg yolks, butter, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until well combined (make sure there are no lumps).
Pour the mixture into the parbaked piecrust and place a ring of foil over the edges of the crust to prevent it from burning. Bake until the center is set but still slightly wobbly, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely; chill in the refrigerator until firm, 4 to 5 hours.
Make the topping: Combine the cranberries, sugar, orange zest and juice, and salt in a medium pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the liquid thickens and some of the cranberries burst, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a shallow bowl and chill until cold, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Spread the cranberry mixture on the pie and serve immediately. Or refrigerate the pie and topping separately for up to 2 days.
One Year Ago – Overnight Oats
Two Years Ago – International Burgers
Three Years Ago – Snickerdoodle Surprise Cookies