Strawberry and Custard Pie with Buttery Basil Homemade Pie Crust
This delicious spring pie consists of creamy vanilla custard and juicy, just-tart-enough strawberries. It sits atop a flaky, buttery, and delicate basil pie crust. The most delicious amalgamation of everything spring!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword basil, basil pie crust, custard, custard pie, pie, pie crust, strawberry, strawberry and custard, strawberry basil, strawberry pie
Prep Time 1 hourhour15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour15 minutesminutes
Resting Time 3 hourshours
Total Time 5 hourshours30 minutesminutes
Servings 12people
Ingredients
Homemade Buttery Basil Pie Crust
2½cupsall-purpose flour
1/4cupwhite sugar
2tspsalt
3tspdried basil
¾cupcold butter (1½ sticks)
¼cupcold vegetable shortening
⅛cupcold vodka (you may not need all of it)
⅛cupcold water (you may not need all of it)
1tbspheavy cream
1egg
Vanilla Custard Pie Filling
2eggs
½cupsugar
⅛tspsalt
1vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste)My vanilla bean was from https://www.etsy.com/shop/AfricanSpices (gifted)
¾cupmilk
½cupheavy cream
⅛tspnutmeg
½tspcorn starch
Strawberry Pie Filling
½cupsugar
2tbspflour
2tbsp corn starch
1lemon, zested
2lbfresh strawberries
Instructions
Homemade Buttery Basil Pie Crust
Mix the water and vodka and place it, along with cubed butter and shortening, in the freezer to chill for 5 to 10 minutes.
In a mixing bowl or the bowl of your food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and basil.
Then, cut in the cold butter and shortening until it resembles pea-sized clumps. To do this with a food processor, simply pulse the blades around multiple times, until the consistency resembles pea-sized clumps. With a pastry cutter or forks, use a downward pressing motion to cut in the butter to the dry mixture, until it resembles the above description.
Add half of your chilled water/vodka liquid and mix the dough again in the same manner as above until it all is moistened. Grab a chunk of the crust dough, press together, and then split it in half. If it crumbles, add more water, mixing again. Repeat until the clump of dough breaks somewhat cleanly into two halves.
Turn the dough out onto two separate pieces of plastic wrap, splitting the mixture roughly in half. Knead each set of dough a few times between the plastic until it holds together. Be careful not to over-work the dough. It may still be a little crumbly but pull the plastic wrap together to seal it, and then wrap once more for extra security. Place both discs of dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight, if possible.
After your dough has rested, preheat your oven to 425°F.
Remove the dough discs from the refrigerator and roll them out into two flat crust pieces, large enough to fit well over your pie dish. Place the smaller one back into the refrigerator to chill for later. This will be the top crust. Take the larger crust and place it carefully into your pie dish. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork a few times. Then, place a piece of parchment paper on top of the crust, and then fill the pie with your pie weights. Make sure the parchment paper extends over the top of the sides of the crust, to prevent burning.
Bake the bottom pie crust for 20-25, or until almost fully cooked. If the edges start browning too much, cover them with tin foil.
Remove the pie from the oven, and set the pie weights aside. Remove the parchment paper and foil. In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and egg. Use a pastry brush to spread a thin layer over the bottom and sides of the pie crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 3-5 more minutes, or until cooked. Set aside to cool slightly while preparing the next components.
Vanilla Custard Pie Filling
Mix the milk and heavy cream in a medium-sized saucepan, and put it over medium heat. Slice your vanilla bean in half, and scrape out the seeds from the inside. Place the seeds and the cut pod pieces in the pan. Bring it to a slight boil, then turn off the heat. Let the vanilla infuse in this milk while you prepare the other ingredients, or for about 15 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt, cornstarch, and nutmeg.
Turn the heat back up on the milk mixture, and let it come just to a scald (barely bubbling.) Scoop out the vanilla pods and discard. Once the mixture is scalding, pour a small amount into the egg mixture, constantly whisking, to temper the eggs. This prevents them from scrambling. Once combined, pour the egg mixture into the remaining vanilla milk and whisk constantly over medium heat until it thickens. It will continue thickening in the oven, but you want it pretty thick going in.
Strain the mixture through the sieve once to remove any clumps, and then let sit, covered with plastic wrap on the surface of the custard, until you're ready to assemble the pie, after the strawberries are finished, if you haven't done that already.
Strawberry Pie Filling
Chop your strawberries into half-inch pieces.
Combine, in a bowl, the strawberries, sugar, flour, cornstarch, and lemon zest. Assemble pie.
Assembling & Finishing The Strawberry Custard Pie
To your pre-baked pie crust, pour in the custard. Then, carefully, top the custard with the strawberries.
Cover the pie with your second crust. You can create braids, cut-outs, or other decorations for fun!
Brush the top crust with your heavy cream/egg mixture, and then cover the edges lightly with tin foil.
Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes. If you place a knife into the pie, there should be no custard that comes out on the knife. You can remove the foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking to brown it to your liking.
Let cool. You can cut it warm, but the pie holds together better when it's cooled fully. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days.