Milk Cream Cornet Pie Recipe

Make crust dough

In a medium bowl whisk together 1.5 cups flour, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Cut 6 tbs cold unsalted butter into small cubes and, using a pastry cutter or two forks, work the butter into the flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.

Add the ice water and 0.5 tsp vanilla extract: drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water over the flour mixture and gently fold until dough just holds together when pressed. Add up to 1 additional tablespoon water only if too dry. Do not overwork.

Shape and chill: gather dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours).

Blind bake

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about 11-inch circle and fit into a 9-inch (23 cm) pie or tart pan with removable bottom. Trim and crimp edges. Line crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake 6–8 more minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool on a rack while preparing filling.

Prepare corn

If using fresh corn, cut kernels from 2 medium ears to yield about 1 cup. If frozen, thaw and drain. Place the 1 cup corn kernels and 1/2 cup heavy cream in a blender or food processor and puree until mostly smooth but still slightly textured (about 20–30 seconds).

Heat milk and corn

In a medium saucepan combine 2 cups whole milk, the corn-cream puree, and 1/4 cup of the 1/2 cup sugar (reserve the rest). Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until steam rises and small bubbles appear at the edge but do not boil (about 5–7 minutes).

Make cornstarch slurry

In a separate small bowl whisk together 3 tbs cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold milk (taken from the measured amount) until smooth and lump-free. Set aside.

Temper egg yolks: in a medium bowl whisk 3 egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until slightly thickened and pale. Slowly pour about 1/3 cup of the hot corn-milk mixture into the yolks in a slow stream while whisking constantly to temper.

Thicken filling: return the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan with the remaining corn-milk mixture. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula or whisk, until mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency and coats the back of the spatula (about 3–5 minutes). Do not boil hard to avoid curdling.

Finish custard: remove from heat and whisk in 2 tbs unsalted butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness with the reserved sugar if desired (add up to the remaining reserved sugar 1–2 tbs at a time) while mixture is warm so it dissolves.

Strain for smoothness (optional): for a silkier texture, pour the warm custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, pressing to extract as much as possible from the corn solids. This step removes coarse bits but is optional if you prefer some corn texture.

Cool slightly: cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and let it cool to warm (about 20 minutes), then chill in refrigerator until fully set, about 1–2 hours.

Fill the crust: once the blind-baked crust is cooled and the custard is chilled/set, spoon or pour the milk-corn custard into the prepared crust, smoothing the top with a spatula. Return to refrigerator to firm for another 30 minutes before serving if needed.

Whip topping: if using fresh whipped cream, whip 1/2 cup cream with 1 tsp powdered sugar to soft peaks and spread or pipe over the chilled pie.

Garnish: sprinkle 2 tbs toasted corn kernels or toasted sliced almonds over the top for crunch. For a small shine and extra flavor you can brush a few toasted corn kernels with a touch of melted butter before sprinkling.

Serve: slice with a sharp knife dipped briefly in hot water between cuts for clean slices. Serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Store covered in refrigerator up to 3 days.