Pie #2: KICK IN THE PANTS PIE

"Cinnamon spice custard (Today’s Special)"

With a name like "Kick in the Pants" pie, I expected something with a little more ZING. This custard is smooth and creamy (as those pesky Yoplait women would say "This is ______ good!"); with the addition of cinnamon and cardamom, it was food coma-inducing. I suspect that what Keri Russell's character, Jenna, was really getting at was that you NEED a kick in the pants after eating this. Considering the amount of heavy cream in this recipe, I wish the kick in the pants forced me onto the treadmill, or at the very least, back to LSAT studying.

Custard pies just sound vile to me, so I opted to make a simple cinnamon custard. Since I had a bit of custard leftover, I made a delicious cinnamon custard brown betty / custard cup* that would be perfect for a brunch, and relatively easy, too! It tastes like a deconstructed french toast -- bread, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, cream... While I prefer the custard for a dessert, the custard cup would make a good brunch hors d'ouevre.

I may try to remake this properly as a pie, since this is the pie supposed to win Jenna her pie contest, but for now, enjoy these recipes:

Recipe for Cinnamon & Cardamom Custard (adapted from Atkins diet, of all places) & Brown Butter Custard Cups
(makes 6 4oz ramekins, or 2 quart round, or one odd-shaped terrine and 6 muffin cups)

For the custard:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus more for garnish
  
• 6-10 cardamom pods, depending on how strong of flavor desired (go with 10)
  
• 2 large whole eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar or splenda
  
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups boiling water (for water bath)
• whipped cream for garnish

For the custard cups:

• 6 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed, flattened with rolling pin (I used wheat -- it was fine)
  
• 2 tbsp butter
  
• Sugar, cinnamon for garnish
  
  

In a medium-size heavy saucepan, combine heavy cream, cinnamon, and cardamom pods.

Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly to thoroughly blend cinnamon into cream, just until cream begins to steam (do not boil).

Meanwhile, heat oven to 300 F. Remove cardamom pods with soup ladle.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt together until pale yellow and slightly thickened.

Using a soup ladle and whisking constantly, very gradually pour in the hot cream. Then whisk in the vanilla extract.

Pour about 1/2 cup cream mixture into each of six 4-ounce custard cups (OR pour entire mixture into a 2-quart round baking dish OR into <2>

Place the cups or baking dish in a roasting pan. Carefully pour enough boiling water in the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cups or baking dish.

Bake until custard is still slightly loose in center, about 30 minutes (for the baking dish, bake about 5 minutes more. NOTE: it took me less time for the custard cups ~27 minutes, and more time for the large dish ~40 minutes).

Best enjoyed warm, right before bed

For custard cups:

Roll out crustless bread

Brown butter, then brush into pan and on both sides of bread.

Sprinkle the bread with cinnamon and sugar and press into muffin tin

Fill ~2/3rds of each cup with remaining custard, careful to not overfill beyond the crease

(NOTE: if you overfill, dont worry -- it won't burn, but it may bubble and souffle/deflate once you remove it.)