Description
A luscious Cranberry Custard Pie combining the tartness of fresh cranberries with a creamy, orange-infused custard filling baked to perfection in a flaky pie crust. This dessert is perfect for festive occasions or a delightful year-round treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1 refrigerated pie crust or a deep 9-inch pie shell (store-bought or homemade)
Filling
- 4 cups (480 g / 17 oz) cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup (240 ml / 8 fl oz) orange juice (freshly squeezed preferred)
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (approx. 2 oranges)
Optional Garnishes
- Sweetened whipped cream
- Cranberries
- Red currants
- Sugared rosemary
- Snowflake sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Crust: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C / gas mark 4). Roll out the refrigerated pie crust to a 12-inch (30 cm) circle on a lightly floured surface. Place the crust in a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan, trimming excess and fluting or crimping edges as desired.
- Blind Bake Crust: Line the crust with parchment paper and aluminum foil, then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the weights, foil, and parchment, and bake for an additional 10 minutes to set the crust.
- Cook Cranberries: In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries and orange juice. Cook over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes until most cranberries burst and release their juices.
- Puree and Strain Cranberries: Puree the cranberry mixture using an immersion blender, then press through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Measure out 2 cups of this strained cranberry mixture for the filling.
- Mix Custard Filling: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, measured cranberry mixture, and orange zest until thick and well combined.
- Fill and Bake Pie: Pour the custard filling into the pre-baked pie crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is almost set with a slight wobble. If the crust darkens too quickly, cover edges with foil or a pie shield. Start checking at 25 minutes and then every 5 minutes thereafter.
- Cool and Chill: Set the baked pie on a wire rack to cool for about 2 hours. Then refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours or overnight to fully set the custard before serving.
- Garnish (Optional): Before serving, optionally garnish with sweetened whipped cream, cranberries, red currants, sugared rosemary, and snowflake sprinkles for a festive touch.
Notes
- Use fresh-squeezed orange juice for the best flavor.
- Ensure egg yolks are at room temperature to prevent curdling in the custard.
- Blind baking the crust prevents it from becoming soggy once the custard filling is added.
- Straining the cranberry puree creates a smooth custard texture without cranberry skins or seeds.
- Let the pie chill thoroughly to allow the custard to fully set for clean slicing.
- Cover crust edges if browning too quickly during baking to avoid burning.
