She’s worked at multi-Michelin-starred restaurants and at renowned pastry shop Pierre Hermé in Paris. But when it comes to Thanksgiving desserts, pastry chef Leigh Omilinsky is all about comfort and familiarity.
“I like anything that gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling,” she says.
Those two words easily describe her maple malt pie, which she thinks of as a hybrid between the nostalgia of pecan pie and custard qualities of pumpkin pie without being either. At Logan Square’s Daisies, the staff lovingly call it “pancake pie.”
To get it perfect, Omilinsky recommends baking the crust thoroughly and being patient with the custard filling, which needs a low-and-slow cooking approach. Let it cool before you cut into it no matter how good it smells. “It’s basically pudding in a pie,” she says.
Leigh Omilinsky’s Maple Malt Pie
Pie Crust (for one 10-inch pie shell)
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 6-8 tablespoons ice water
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the cold butter. Use your fingers, a pastry cutter, or two forks to work the butter into the flour until it looks like peas and small, flat flakes. Sprinkle in 6 tablespoons of ice water and gently mix. Add up to 2 more tablespoons only if the dough seems dry. The dough should hold together when pressed. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
When ready to use, roll the dough into a circle about ⅛-inch thick. Fit it into a 10-inch pie pan. Trim the edges, leaving about ½-inch extra, fold under and crimp. Chill the lined pie shell for at least 30 minutes before baking.
To blind bake, the pie crust, preheat the oven to 375 F. Line the chilled crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove weights and parchment. Bake for another 8-12 minutes, until the crust is light golden and dry. Let cool.
Maple Malt Filling
Ingredients
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup, plus ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 ½ cups heavy cream
- 12-13 egg yolks (Use 12 for a slightly softer custard; 13 for firmer)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt (If using Morton brand salt, use ¾ teaspoon.)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
- 4 tablespoons (¼ cup) malt powder (optional, but delicious)
Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine the ¾ cup brown sugar and ¾ cup maple syrup. Heat it until it turns a medium to dark amber color (a deep caramel). Turn off the heat and slowly whisk in the 3 ½ cups heavy cream. Whisk until smooth.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, salt, vanilla and malt powder, if using. Slowly pour the warm caramel mixture into the yolk mixture while whisking. Do not put the custard back on the stove. Strain the custard through a fine strainer. Stir in the ¼ cup maple syrup.
Pour the filling into the fully baked pie crust. Bake at 260 F until the center is just set but still wobbly when the pan is gently shaken. Let cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 2 hours.
Malted Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream, very cold
- 3 tablespoons malt powder
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
- A small pinch of kosher salt
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine the cream, malt powder, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Whip on medium speed until the cream begins to thicken. Increase to medium-high and whip until soft peaks form (thick enough to hold shape, but still smooth and soft). Spread or pipe the whipped cream onto the chilled pie. Dust with a little cinnamon if you like. Let the finished pie chill 15 minutes before slicing for clean cuts. Slice into 12 pieces.