Food and Recipes Desserts Pies This Cajun Custard Pie Is An Old-Time Louisiana Favorite Be the first to rate & review! A tarte à la bouillie is made with a cookie dough-like crust and a silky, creamy but delicate custard filling. By Liv Dansky Liv Dansky Liv is a recipe tester and developer with three years of experience working in the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on December 8, 2024 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Active Time: 30 mins Chill Time: 1 hr Total Time: 4 hrs Servings: 8 Jump to recipe Louisiana may be known for culinary exports like gumbo, jambalaya, and beignets, but Cajun custard pie deserves space on that list. Made with a sweet dough and creamy vanilla custard, the tarte à la bouillie is beloved in the Bayou State, even if it's not well known outside its borders. The custard for Cajun custard pie is nothing more than a stovetop egg-and-cornstarch vanilla custard. It's baked in a sweet-dough crust that tastes like "a really delicious cookie," one Southern Living Test Kitchen pro said. Folding the dough over the filling is a bit unusual but entirely traditional. Ultimately, we really liked the extra texture from the dough sandwiching the silky custard filling. However, if you like a tidier presentation, you could crimp the pie crust. Test Kitchen Tip: This dough is fairly sticky, which is why we suggest you roll it out between two sheets of parchment. It also tears somewhat easily, even after chilling, but you can patch it up and it won’t impact the outcome. Lastly, we used vanilla paste so you can see some of the vanilla seeds in the filling, but vanilla extract will also work. Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients Crust: 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 1 Tbsp. half-and-half 2 1/2 cups (about 10 5/8 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 3/4 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting 2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. kosher salt Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional) 1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-in. pieces and chilled Custard Filling: 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup cornstarch 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 2 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 2 1/2 cups half-and-half 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract or paste Directions Prepare the Crust: Whisk together egg, egg yolk, and half-and-half in a medium bowl until combined. Set aside. Place flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg, if using, in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine, about 5 pulses. Add butter and pulse until coarse meal forms, about 15 pulses. Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Add eggs: Add flour mixture to egg mixture in medium bowl and mix using clean hands to form a shaggy dough. (The dough should still look a little dry and crumbly, but hold together when squeezed.) Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Transfer to work surface and knead gently until cohesive. Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Roll out dough: Place dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper dusted with flour, and roll into a circle about 14 inches in diameter and about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer dough, still between sheets of parchment, to a baking sheet. Chill in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Prepare the Filling: Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan until combined. Whisk in egg and egg yolks; gradually whisk in half-and-half. Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Cook Filling: Place saucepan over low, and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to thicken, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Chill Filling: Pour into a medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap directly on surface and chill in refrigerator until ready to use. Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Remove Crust from fridge: Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature until pliable, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard 1 sheet of parchment paper from dough. Transfer dough to a 9-inch pie dish, parchment-side up. Remove and discard second sheet of parchment paper. (Note: If dough tears, patch it with more dough.) Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Fill Crust: Gently press dough into pie dish, leaving excess dough hanging over the edges. Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Pour Custard Filling into crust and fold excess crust over edges of Filling. Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Bake pie and cool: Bake in preheated oven until Filling is set and Crust is golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap directly on surface of the Filling and chill in refrigerator until cold, at least 1 hour. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired. Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Rate It Print