One Slice and You’ll Understand — Chai Spiced Custard Pie

Описание: I made this once — now everyone keeps asking for it again.
The chai spice and custard texture together are unreal. Details in the description.

Ingredients

1 × 320 g roll shortcrust pastry (shop-bought or homemade)
Plain flour or baking beans/rice (for blind baking)
Custard filling
4 large eggs
2 seperated egg yolks
110 g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract (generous)
300 ml milk (full-fat preferred, semi-skimmed works)
300 ml double cream
4 chai tea bags

Method

1) Preheat the oven
Heat oven to 170°C (340°F).

2) Line the tin

Roll pastry slightly wider than your pie dish if needed.
Lay into the tin and tuck neatly.
Do not stretch the pastry.
Leave about 2 cm overhang all the way around — it will shrink during baking.

3) Blind bake

Line the pastry with baking paper (cartouche).
Fill with flour or baking beans, pushing weight into the corners.
Bake for 15 minutes at 170°C (340°F).

4) Trim and bake again

Remove paper and weights.
Trim excess pastry while still warm and soft.
Return to the oven for 8–10 minutes until lightly cooked and dry.

5) Make the egg mixture

In a bowl, combine:
4 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, caster sugar, salt & vanilla
Whisk gently — do not aerate.

6) Infuse the chai

Heat milk and cream together until hot but not boiling.
Add chai tea bags.
Remove from heat, cover, and infuse for 10–15 minutes.

7) Combine

Remove tea bags.
Slowly pour the hot chai milk into the egg mixture while whisking.
Pour gradually to prevent scrambling.

8) Strain (optional but recommended)

Pass custard through a fine sieve to remove any tiny cooked egg bits.

9) Lower the oven

Reduce temperature to 130°C (270°F).

10) Bake the custard

Place pastry case in the oven but still in the cake tin.
Carefully pour custard into the shell.
Bake for 60 minutes at 130°C.

11) Check for doneness

Edges fully set
Centre has a gentle wobble
No liquid movement

12) Cool and serve

Cool to room temperature before slicing.
Serve plain or with lightly whipped cream.

Recipe Tips
Baking low and slow prevents curdling and keeps the custard silky.
A slight wobble means perfect doneness — it will continue setting as it cools.
Chai tea gives warm spice without overpowering the custard.