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If you’ve ever dreamt of a pie that perfectly balances creamy, tangy, and spicy flavors, look no further than the Cranberry Custard Pie With a Ginger Bite. This enchanting dessert brings together the luscious smoothness of custard with the vibrant tartness of cranberries, all nestled in a delicate ginger-spiced crust that gives each slice an irresistible little kick. Every forkful is a celebration of texture and taste, where the warming zing of ginger plays beautifully against the brightness of cranberries, making this pie a standout at any gathering or cozy night in.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Getting your hands on these ingredients is a breeze, and each one plays an essential role in making this pie a masterpiece. The ginger adds warmth and spice, cranberries provide that vibrant tart pop, while the custard filling brings a creamy richness that ties everything together in perfect harmony.
- All-purpose flour: The sturdy foundation for your ginger pastry crust, ensuring a tender but firm base.
- Powdered sugar: Adds subtle sweetness and helps create a silky crust texture.
- Crystallized ginger: Gives a delightful chewy burst of spicy-sweet flavor inside the dough.
- Ground ginger: Infuses the crust with warm aromatic notes that complement the cranberries beautifully.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the other flavors.
- Cold butter: The key to flaky, tender pie crust layers.
- Milk or water: Gently brings your dough together without weighing it down.
- Cranberries (fresh or frozen): Offer a punch of bright tart flavor and gorgeous color in the filling.
- Pure cranberry juice: Concentrates the fruity tang and makes the custard vivid and flavorful.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the filling just enough to balance the cranberries’ natural tartness.
- Kosher salt: Amplifies the pie’s overall depth of flavor.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Richens the custard with creamy sweetness and smooth texture.
- Eggs: Essential for the silky, custardy structure that holds this pie together.
How to Make Cranberry Custard Pie With a Ginger Bite
Step 1: Prepare the Ginger Pastry Crust
Start by blending the flour, powdered sugar, crystallized ginger, ground ginger, and salt in your food processor until the crystallized ginger is finely chopped. This step releases those incredible ginger flavors evenly throughout your crust. Then, add cold butter and pulse to create delicate, flaky bits. Pour in milk or water while processing until the dough just forms a ball. Wrap this dough in plastic, roll it out flat, and chill it for at least two hours — or overnight if you’re feeling patient — so it firms up beautifully and is easier to handle.
Step 2: Blind Bake the Pie Crust
Roll your chilled dough into an 11-inch circle and carefully fit it into your pie plate, crimping the edges prettily. Pop it in the freezer briefly to firm up again. Preheat your oven to 375ºF and line the crust with parchment and pie weights to prevent shrinking. Bake it on the lower rack for about 20 minutes, then remove weights and parchment and bake a bit longer until it’s gorgeously golden and fully cooked through. Then, lower the oven to 350ºF and get ready for the filling.
Step 3: Cook the Cranberry Filling
Simmer cranberries with pure cranberry juice, sugar, and salt until they burst in all the best ways, about 10 minutes. Puree this mixture smoothly, then strain to remove seeds for a velvety texture that melts in your mouth. Make sure you have around two cups of this luscious cranberry puree ready to blend with your next step.
Step 4: Whisk the Custard Mixture
In a separate bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk together with eggs until they’re perfectly integrated. Slowly add the cranberry puree while continuing to whisk gently, blending all those flavors into a luscious, velvety custard that almost sparkles with festive charm.
Step 5: Bake the Pie
Pour the cranberry custard filling into your pre-baked ginger crust. Bake in the oven’s middle rack for 30 to 35 minutes until the edges of the custard look set and matte, but the center is still just a bit wobbly. This delicate balance ensures a creamy, smooth texture once fully chilled. Cool your pie on a rack, then pop it in the fridge for at least four hours to finish setting—patience pays off with every silky slice.
How to Serve Cranberry Custard Pie With a Ginger Bite
Garnishes
Top this pie with a generous dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream sprinkled with a hint of ground ginger or finely chopped crystallized ginger. Fresh cranberries scattered on top add a pretty, festive touch and an extra pop of tartness that ties in perfectly with the pie’s flavors.
Side Dishes
Serve alongside a steaming cup of chai tea or a rich cup of coffee to complement the ginger’s warmth. For an extra layer of indulgence, a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream is simply divine next to a slice of this pie, creating an inviting contrast between warm spice and creamy coolness.
Creative Ways to Present
For a charming presentation, serve smaller tartlet versions using the same Cranberry Custard Pie With a Ginger Bite filling nestled into mini ginger crusts. Alternatively, portion slices onto rustic wooden boards with fresh herbs and candied ginger for an eye-catching dessert platter that will have your guests swooning before even taking a bite.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Once fully chilled, this pie stores wonderfully in the fridge for up to four days. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap or place it in a pie container to keep it fresh and prevent the crust from absorbing any fridge odors. The custard will stay creamy, and the crust retains its delicate ginger bite without becoming soggy.
Freezing
If you want to enjoy the Cranberry Custard Pie With a Ginger Bite later, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to two months. When freezing, it’s best to freeze a whole pie instead of slices to maintain the custard’s texture and prevent it from drying out.
Reheating
Because this pie shines when served cold, reheating is not generally recommended. If you prefer it slightly warmed, briefly warm individual slices in a low oven (around 300ºF) for 5-7 minutes just to take the chill off without melting the custard or sogging the ginger crust.
FAQs
Can I use frozen cranberries for this pie?
Absolutely! Fresh or frozen cranberries both work wonderfully. Just be sure to thaw frozen cranberries before cooking to ensure an even texture and proper cooking.
Is the ginger crust difficult to make?
Not at all. The addition of crystallized ginger adds fun flavor and texture, while grounding the dough in familiar techniques makes it accessible, even if you’re new to pie baking.
Can I substitute the cranberry juice with another juice?
For the best flavor profile, pure cranberry juice is recommended because it highlights the tartness that balances the sweet custard. Other juices won’t deliver the same vibrant tang and will alter the pie’s signature flavor.
How do I know when the custard is done baking?
The edges will look set and dry with a matte finish while the center remains slightly wobbly. It will firm up completely once chilled, resulting in a custard that’s smooth and luscious without overcooking.
Can this pie be made ahead of time for holiday entertaining?
Definitely! This pie actually benefits from chilling for several hours or overnight, so it’s an ideal make-ahead dessert to take stress out of your holiday plans.
Final Thoughts
There’s something truly special about a pie that combines the fresh brightness of cranberries with the gentle warmth of ginger, and the Cranberry Custard Pie With a Ginger Bite captures that magic perfectly. It’s a dessert that feels festive and comforting all at once, and once you try it, you’ll find yourself wanting to make this beautiful pie a regular part of your dessert rotation. Give it a go—you deserve a slice of this lovely treat!
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PrintCranberry Custard Pie With a Ginger Bite
This Cranberry Custard Pie features a creamy, smooth custard filling made from fresh or frozen cranberries and sweetened condensed milk, nestled in a delicate ginger-laced pastry crust. The tartness of the cranberries perfectly complements the sweet custard for a balanced and festive dessert ideal for holiday gatherings or any special occasion.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes (plus at least 2 hours refrigeration for dough and 4 hours cooling for custard set)
- Yield: Serves 8
- Category: Custard Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For Ginger Pastry Crust:
- 1½ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (30 grams) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (50 grams) crystallized ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 grams) cold butter, cut into ¼” pieces
- ⅓ cup milk or water
For Cranberry Custard Filling:
- 3½ cups (16 ounces) whole cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup (227 grams) pure cranberry juice (not a juice blend)
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
- Prepare Ginger Pastry Dough: Add all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, crystallized ginger, ground ginger, and salt to a food processor. Process for 1 minute until crystallized ginger is finely chopped. Add cold butter pieces and pulse 5 times. With motor running, pour in milk or water and process until dough forms a cohesive ball around the blade. Scrape dough from bowl, form into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
- Roll and Pre-Bake Pie Crust: Roll out chilled dough to an 11-inch circle on plastic wrap ensuring a tight seal. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the pastry, crimp edges as desired. Place in freezer for 10-20 minutes to firm. Preheat oven to 375°F, placing racks on the second-lowest and middle positions. Line pie crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights (dry rice, beans, or lentils) pushing weights to edges. Bake on lower rack for 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights, then bake 5-10 minutes more until crust is fully baked. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
- Cook and Puree Cranberry Filling: In a medium pot, combine cranberries, cranberry juice, granulated sugar, and salt. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until cranberries burst. Remove from heat and puree mixture using an immersion blender or regular blender. Strain puree through fine-mesh sieve using a spatula to remove seeds, yielding about 2 cups of puree. If less, add cranberry juice to reach 2 cups.
- Mix Custard: In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk and eggs. Gradually add cranberry puree while gently whisking to combine evenly.
- Fill Pie and Bake: Pour cranberry custard filling into the baked pie crust. Place pie on oven’s middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges appear matte or dry and filling is nearly set but still slightly wobbly in the center.
- Cool and Set Pie: Remove pie from oven and cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow custard to fully set.
- Serve: Serve chilled topped with sweetened whipped cream if desired.
Notes
- Use pure cranberry juice (not juice blends) to achieve the best flavor and texture in the filling.
- Chilling the dough overnight improves flavor and texture of the pastry crust.
- Be careful not to overcook cranberries to retain sufficient juice for pureeing.
- Ensure pie is slightly wobbly in the center before removing from oven; it will set fully while cooling.
- Pie weights can be dry rice, beans, or lentils to prevent crust puffing during blind baking.
- Serve pie well chilled for best texture and flavor contrast.