Custard Cream Pie Slices – delicate melt-in-your-mouth dessert consisting of three thin shortbread crusts filled with two layers of custard filling; the next day (if you can wait that long) flavors merge to perfection.
It breaks my heart to post this recipe for Custard Cream Pie Slices. My mom was famous for this incredible cake and ever since she’s gone, 5 years ago, I didn’t have strength to make it. Recently one of my aunts told me she would love to eat it, so last weekend I made it for her.
Custard Cream Pie Slices (Croatian Krem Pita) is an amazing blend of three thin shortbread crusts filled with two layers of custard filling (pastry cream). First day you make it (sometimes I can’t wait and have to try it while it is still warm) you can see and taste distinct layers. You will hear a slight crunch as your knife cuts into it. But next day crusts soak up some liquid from filling which makes the filling a little bit thicker while all flavors merge to perfection. I have not yet met any person who tried this dessert and didn’t like it.
More custard recipes
Custard Cream Pie Slices should be kept in refrigerator because cooked filling contains 6 whole eggs. To my amazement, this dessert freezes well (I always thought custard would separate, but it doesn’t). You just need to thaw it at room temperature for a couple of hours. Just before serving, sprinkle Custard Cream Pie Slices with some powdered sugar and, if you like, serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
- SHORTBREAD CRUSTS:
- 450 g pastry flour* (1 lb; about 4 1/4 cups)
- 250 g butter or margarine (2 sticks + 5 tsp)
- 100 g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 1 whole egg
- a pinch of baking powder
- CUSTARD FILLING:
- 1 liter milk (4 cups + 4 Tbsp)
- 6 eggs separated
- 300 g granulated sugar (1 1/2 cup)
- 80 g all-purpose flour (1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp)
- 2 Tbsp rum
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
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SHORTBREAD CRUSTS:
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Using all ingredients, make a dough. If necessary, add 1-2 Tbsp milk.
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Divide the dough in 3 parts. Roll each part of the dough to 9x13" (23x33 cm). Bake at 350 F (175 C) until pale golden.
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CUSTARD FILLING:
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Scald the milk.
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Mix egg yolks with sugar, flour, rum and vanilla extract. Slowly add hot milk, while mixing constantly. Place the bowl on top of double boiler and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
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Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Using spatula or a spoon, gently fold beaten egg whites into cooked mixture.
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ASSEMBLING:
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Place one shortbread crust on the bottom of 9x13" pan. Pour half of the custard filling over it. Cover the custard with second shortbread crust and pour remaining filling over it. Top with the third shortbread crust.
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Cover with a tray and put some kind of weight (about 1-2 lb or 1/2-1 kg) on top - a can or a carton of milk or juice - to lightly press layers together. Cool in refrigerator over night.
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Cut into cubes or slices and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
*If you don’t have pastry flour, you can easily make your own pastry flour by mixing half cake flour and half all purpose flour.
These sound sublime! I have a friend who’s invited me to a “tea party”. This will be perfect to make and take along. One question though, do you cool the cooked egg mixture before folding in the whipped egg whites?
No, you don’t need to cool the egg mixture. Hot egg yolk mixture helps “cook” the egg whites a little bit, but not too much so that they do not curdle.
So, you fold whipped egg whites straight into hot egg mixture and immediately pour over baked shortbread crust.
I hear you about your mother. Mine died 7 years ago. Every Easter I would buy her lillies. To this day, I have a hard time looking at them at Easter.
I would like to try this dessert. It is very different. Thank you.
Thank you, Lee!
I hope you’ll like my dessert.
followed the recipe to a tee and mine certainly did not like the above picture? Taste was very good, BUT it was custard between 3 short bread cookies.
I’m sorry, Catherine, that you were not satisfied. I’m not sure what do you mean by “custard between 3 short bread cookies”? Was the dough too thick or too hard? In that case you should wait until next day because custard will soften the dough completely.
Hi, how do you measure flour in this recipe? Did you weight it or you used cups to measure?
You wrote 450 g of flour for the layers. 1 cup of flour is 140 g, so, 450 g should be 3 1/4 cups. You wrote 4 1/4 cups.
Please clarify.
Thank you
In past few years since I write this blog I’ve found out that online measurement converters are very unreliable. The way I measure is following: I take my kitchen scale and weigh ingredients in grams (since all my original recipes are in grams). Then I take the ingredient I measured and measure it again using measuring cup. If you want to be precise about the recipe, I suggest using kitchen scale and weighing in grams.
Thank you! That what I wanted to know. So I will use only measurements in grams