USA: Vermont - Maple Cream Pie

I've always been intrigued by American pies. They all look so good from the humble apple pie to this maple cream pie. I first discovered the range of pies Americans get to eat watching the film Waitress about a woman in a bad marriage who becomes pregnant and feels trapped. She works in a diner and creates different pie specials based on how she's feeling that day. Pregnant Miserable Self Pitying Loser Pie and Earl Murders Me Because I'm Having An Affair Pie, you get the idea!

Anyway, one of the favourite foods of Vermont is Maple Cream Pie so I get to make it and eat it. Hurray!

• 1/4 cup cornflour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup double cream
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar
• 1 fully baked pie crust

If you can buy a pie crust it makes things easier. If you want to make your own just find a recipe for sweet shortcrust pastry.

In a pan mix together the cornflour, salt, milk and maple syrup. Whisk it well.

Heat on a medium heat stirring well until it thickens.

Whisk two egg yolks in a small bowl. Add a spoonful of the maple mix to it and stir well. Now add the egg mix back to the pan and stir again.

Add the butter in small dollops and stir that in too. When the butter is properly stirred in, take the pan off the heat and leave to cool.

While you're waiting you can whip the cream. Add the icing sugar and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to the cream then whisk until soft peaks form.

Add 3/4 of the whipped cream to the maple mix and stir in until it's well incorporated. Tip into your pie crust and shake so it settles well.

Place in the fridge for a few hours or overnight if you can wait that long! Serve with the leftover whipped cream.

It hadn't set quite as much as I'd like when we ate it but it was set enough *just*. It was a quite subtle flavour I thought, distinctively maple syrup but not too sweet. The cream with maple syrup in was delicious also and added another layer of the flavour to the dish. The pie was creamy on top of a crisp pastry shell. JD and Erin particularly enjoyed it.