The best brûlée in town is definitely at Café Degas, but between visits, it’s nice to know that there is temporary relief, such as crème brûlée pie. The pie route is way easier than the portion-size ramekin route, especially for parties. Since I have kids, torches in the house seem like a bad idea, so after the pie is done I just sprinkle some sugar on top and burn it using the regular oven broiler. So far, I’ve tried orange crème brûlée pie and cherry crème brûlée pie. I think the former worked out the best. I made a regular pie crust, adding a quarter teaspoon of orange blossom water to the dough (with the vodka; see recipe in previous blog post). Then I covered the bottom of the pre-cooked crust with a thin layer of marmalade/jam. I used whole, fresh cherries for the cherry pie (the pits give such great almondy flavor to the pie, and I’d rather spit pits than settle for less flavor) and then the same mixture: 3 eggs, 1 pint heavy cream, 1/2 cup whole milk, zest of one orange/lemon and 1/2 cup sugar quickly beaten together until smooth. The pie has to cook for a long time. At 350 degrees it took me between 60 and 90 minutes before the custard settled. The pie should wiggle (no longer slosh) when ready. Cool without covering, then sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of sugar on top. Cover the edges (the crust, essentially) with aluminum foil before broiling. Broil to the point of fear (“It’s on fi…!”) and you’ll get results. But please don’t burn your house down. You’ll need a place with A/C this summer, and a cool fridge to keep your pies. Best served with a double espresso.

Note: Almost burned the top this time. I was smelling my husband’s head and got distracted.