Transparent Pie

Jul 18, 2025 | Dessert

No offense to tea drinkers, but reading pie crumbs is a better, and tastier, form of fortune telling. Nothing beats the rich and creamy vanilla custard flavor of transparent pie (Pie Reading Guide).

Makes one regular (not deep dish) 9-inch pie

One store bought pie shell -or-

(For the crust)

1 ½ cups (203 grams) all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
4 ½ ounces (130 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2” cubes
½ cup ice water
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1lb bag dried beans or pie weights

(For the filling)

1 1/4 cup (230 grams) sugar
1 ½ tablespoons (14 grams) all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (90 grams or 3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (114 grams) half and half, warm
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut the butter into ½ inch cubes, place on a plate or sheet pan and chill for at least thirty minutes. To make the pie dough, add the chilled butter to the flour mixture. Mix in a stand mixer on medium speed using a paddle attachment. Alternatively, use a pastry cutter to mix in the butter by hand. Once the butter is in small pebble size pieces and the mixture has a sandy consistency, pour in the ice water and lemon juice, mixing just until a smooth dough forms.

Transfer the dough to a large piece of plastic wrap and pat into a disk. Cover the dough with a second piece of plastic wrap and roll out into a large circle that is 1/8” thick. Transfer the dough to a greased 9” pie pan. The dough should hang over the edge of the pan. Fold the edges back over and crimp to create a fluted edge. Chill the dough for at several hours or up to overnight before baking.

To blind bake the crust, preheat the oven to 350°F. Prick the bottom several times with a fork. Cover the entire pie (including edges) with a large piece of parchment. Fill the center with several cups of dried beans or pie weights. Bake the crust for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently lift the parchment paper and beans out of the pie crust. The edges and sides should now be baked. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until the bottom of the crust no longer looks wet. Remove from the oven. If the bottom of the crust has puffed up slightly, gently prick it with a fork to release any trapped air.

The baked pie shell can be kept at room temperature for up to one day.

To make the filling, in a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk in the melted butter to form a sandy paste. Warm the half and half slightly. This can be done by microwaving for 30 seconds. Once it is warm, whisk the half and half into the sugar mixture, then add the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, using a stand or handheld mixer, beat the eggs on high speed for 3 or 4 minutes, until light and foamy.

Whisk the whipped eggs into the bowl with the sugar until combined. Pour the mixture into the blind baked pie crust.

Place on a sheet pan and bake in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes. The top should now be golden brown. Tent a piece of foil over the pie and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the custard is set and jiggly.

Remove from the oven and cool for at least one hour before slicing and serving. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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