Earl Grey Pie

The pie my friends always ask me to make

I never knew that this pie video would get this much attention! I’m still new to recording and made so many mistakes that it’s a bit embarrassing to have so many people watch haha. But I’m still so thankful for all of the support and love this video is getting.

I was inspired to make this pie from a popular pie store called Pie Hole that has branches all around Los Angeles. They have a delicious Earl Grey Pie amongst a plethora of other delectable pies. The only problem though is that one slice costs $8.50! This led me to think: can’t I just make my own earl grey pie? And so, I made it, much to the delight of my friends. They request for it often!

Ingredients
this recipe is to make TWO pies. Please cut it in half to make just one

2 pie dough rounds

Pastry Cream
10 earl grey standard tea bags (the tea bags I use weigh ~2g each)
32 ounces (4 cups) whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
60 grams cornstarch (around 8 tablespoons) *I originally added 100ml of cornstarch according to the original recipe but found that the pastry cream became too firm.
230 grams sugar
4 large eggs
8 tablespoons unsalted butter

Chocolate Ganache
1 bar of good quality dark chocolate
A few splashes of heavy cream

Whipped Cream
4 cups of whipped cream (I used some of this for the ganache)
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Handful of chopped pistachios, optional

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Directions
I used 9-inch pie plates

1. Pastry Cream (I used Tartine’s recipe)
   -Add 32oz (4cups) whole milk to a large pot. Then add the 10 tea bags of earl grey tea to the milk. Turn the heat on to low and bring the milk to a simmer. Be careful not to bring it to a boil as it can easily overflow once boiled. Once the milk starts to simmer, turn off the heat and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.
   -After waiting the 20 minutes, I like to squeeze the tea bags to extract as much flavor. Since the milk did not reach brewing temperature, I’m not so concerned about the added tannins that are usually produced from squeezing tea bags. Also, a little bitterness would help balance the sweetness of the pastry cream!
   -Add 1tbsp vanilla bean paste and 1/2 tsp salt to the milk mixture. Turn the heat back onto low to return the mixture to a simmer.
   -While the milk is heating up, add 75ml cornstarch and 230g sugar to a bowl and whisk to combine. Then add 4 large eggs and whisk once again to combine.
   -Temper the eggs by slowly adding the heated milk to the egg mixture while continuously whisking. I usually add around half of the milk mixture to the eggs. Then return everything back to the pot and turn the heat to medium, while constantly whisking. The pastry cream will suddenly start to change from a liquid to more of a whipped cream consistency. Once the pastry cream starts to boil (the custard will start to release bubbles), keep whisking for around 30 more seconds. Then turn off the heat. Tartine’s recipe recommends waiting 15 minutes and then add butter one tablespoon at a time. I’m impatient, so I just add half of the butter (cut into cubes) right after I stop whisking. Incorporate half the butter, then add the remaining butter, doing the same.
   -Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl. I like to strain the cream through a metal sieve at this point to get rid of any lumps, milk solids, or stray tea leaves. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic is touching the surface of the cream so that a skin does not form. Refrigerate the cream.

2. Pie Crust
   -Roll out both pie doughs. Transfer to pie plates and crimp the edges. Dock the dough to prevent it from rising. Then place them back into the fridge, loosely covered, to firm up once again for around 15 minutes.
   -After 15 minutes, take the pie doughs out of the fridge and place parchment paper over the pie doughs along with pie weights of your choice (I like to use dried beans and sometimes rice. I have heard of people using sugar as well!).
   -Bake in a 375 degrees F oven for around 15 minutes. Then remove the pie weights (plus parchment) and continue cooking uncovered for another 15 minutes or so. You want the pie to be golden brown and crisp. I use a fork to once again dock the pie crust real quick before it’s second bake.

3. Chocolate Ganache
   -Chop one bar of chocolate of choice (I like to use dark chocolate).
   -Then place in a heat-proof bowl along with a few splashes of heavy cream. Place this bowl over a pot of gently simmering water. You want to take this nice and slow to gently melt the chocolate. I rushed myself and slightly overheated it.
   -Once the chocolate is melted, transfer and evenly spread it over the cooled pie crusts. Let the crusts sit at room temp until the chocolate firms up or place them in a refrigerator to speed up the process.

4. Whipped Cream
   -Pour 4 cups (minus the amount used for the chocolate ganache) of heavy whipping cream into a large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. You can add a lot more sugar here depending on your sweetness preference. I like to have the whipped cream barely sweet in contrast to the sweet pastry cream.
   -Blend with a hand mixer, by hand, or using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until medium peaks forms. Don’t overwhip as it can curdle the cream.

5. Assembly
   -Take the earl grey pastry cream out of the fridge and whisk it up well to break it up. I suggest using a stand mixer or hand mixer for this part to fully loosen the pastry cream. Then add half of the whipped cream to the loosened pastry cream and fold the mixture by hand using a spatula. You want to maintain the light airiness of the whipped cream.
   -Divide the diplomat cream (pastry cream + whipped cream) equally and fill the two pie shells (with the chocolate ganache already at the bottom). Smoothen out the cream to create a flat surface.
   -Then divide the remaining whipped cream in half and place evenly on top of the diplomat cream.
   -Top with some chopped pistachio nuts. This step is optional as it is mainly for aesthetics!
   -Refrigerate for a few hours (preferably overnight) and serve!

Will you make this for a friend? :3