Quebecois Maple Cream Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare the pastry in a food processor, combine the walnuts and sugar and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add the flour and salt and pulse to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is the texture of coarse meal with pea size pieces. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and pulse until the dough is evenly moistened. The dough should hold together when squeezed, but not be too wet. Add up to 2 more tablespoons of ice water, if necessary. Tip out the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and using the plastic to gather the dough together, form it into a disk. Chill for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. (Alternatively, you can freeze the dough for up to 1 week).
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch-diameter round (about 1/8 inch thick). Transfer the dough to a 9-inch standard pie plate. Trim the excess dough and fold it to make a decorative edge. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 15 minutes. Line the frozen shell with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights. Bake the crust until the edges are lightly golden and the crust beneath the parchment is dry, about 25 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights and continue to bake the crust until it is golden brown about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Set a fine mesh sieve next to the crust for later.
• Prepare the filling: In a small saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Continue to cook the syrup until it has reduced by about half, about 12 minutes. (You can occasionally pour the syrup into a glass measuring cup to check the volume.) In a medium saucepan (away from the stovetop), whisk the egg yolks with the cornstarch until smooth. In a slow stream, while whisking, add the milk and cream. Add the salt, butter, and reduced maple syrup. Don't worry if the syrup seizes. It will smooth out in the next step when you heat the custard. Cook the milk mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it has thickened and come to a low boil, about 7 minutes. Cook the custard for 1 minute more and then pour it through the sieve into the cooled crust and spread it out evenly.
• Press a piece of waxed paper directly onto the surface of the custard and transfer the pie to the fridge. Chill the pie for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. To serve, top the pie with whipped cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Line a 9-in. pie plate with pastry; trim to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate. Flute edges. Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack., For filling, combine cornstarch and salt in a large saucepan. Stir in 1/2 cup milk until smooth. Gradually stir in remaining milk and 3/4 cup maple syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir in a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in butter. Cool to room temperature without stirring., In a chilled small bowl, beat cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold 1 cup cream into cooled filling; spoon into crust. Fold remaining syrup into remaining cream; frost top of pie. Refrigerate overnight. Garnish with toasted almonds. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough into a 14-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick). Fit dough into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable fluted rim and trim flush with rim. Chill shell until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork and line shell with foil. Fill foil with pie weights or rice and bake shell in middle of oven 15 minutes. Carefully remove weights or rice and foil and bake shell until golden, about 8 minutes more. Cool shell in pan on a rack. Shell may be made 1 day ahead and kept in pan, covered, at room temperature.
• Reduce temperature to 350°F.
• In a bowl whisk together maple sugar and flour. Add cream and whisk until smooth. Pour filling into shell and bake in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until fling is set. Cool pie to warm in pan on rack and remove rim.
• Serve pie warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.