Day 9: Eggs minus the Nog, a Bain-Marie, and a GPS

I want to give you some insight to me and these recipes - I only scan the recipes to see what I might additionally need from the grocery. I don't read them thoroughly as I don't want to have any pre-conceived notions of how it may or may not turn out. I came as quite a surprise that I was going to make Egg Nog Pie and there was not a drop of egg nog in the whole dang recipe. REALLY?!?!? Because when I was at the grocery over the weekend knowing that I was going to make egg nog pie this week - I bought 3 cartons of egg nog - knowing that I would need at least one to make this recipe. Now I can open up an egg nog stand - I have so much in the fridge. I mean its not like I can pour it over my Frosted Flakes....well I guess I could, but I am not going to. I also didn't realize that I would be making a custard pie or baking it in a bain-marie (translated from French = Mary's bath or in English = water bath). Surprise!!! Well, well, well....won't this be fun.

First a pie crust....needs to be about a 12 inch round for a 9 inch pie pan. Pie crust rolled and fluted. I lightly poked the bottom with a fork and baked the crust for about 5 minutes because I was afraid that if I added custard ingredients to an unbaked pie crust that it might not get cooked so into the oven for 5 minutes at 325 degrees. On to the "guts" of the pie.

Sugar and 4 eggs creamed together. Dry ingredients stayed dry until I needed them - of course the only dry ingredient that I needed for the "guts" was salt. Not too hard to jack that up :D But oops I spoke too soon......now on my way to the grocery.......when I "scanned" the recipe I thought it called for condensed mik.....nope....it calls for evaporated milk. CRAP....and the grocery was busy today. So I get two cans of evaporated milk and out the door headed for home.
Only one problem....can't find my car. I became one of those people who I sit in my car and dog because they can't find their damn car. Where the hell is my car...I say it out loud and a lady loading her truck says to me, "Just click your key fob.....that's what I do." I said, "Honey, I drive a 1998 paid off POS (Piece of Sh*t) that doesn't have a fob." She went back to loading her trunk and I wander over two more rows til I found my car. Imagine that....it was exactly were I left it.

Back home, evaporated milk and water added. I put the pie tin into a large glass casserole dish because remember, I am going to bake this in a bain-marie. Pour the liquid "guts" into my pre-kinda baked pie crust - whew - just fit (it was a deep dish pie tin.) Sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon. Now pour about 1/2 inch of water into the bottom of the glass dish. Move it all very, very, very careful to the oven. Liquid guts are sloshing and the water in the bottom of the glass is sloshing, but I get into the oven. Bake for 55 minutes. Insert a knife, if it comes out clean - it is done. It's done. Cool, cut and by golly it tastes like egg nog in a pie crust. If you don't like the texture of custard - this recipe is not for you. Chris said the flavor is good, but he does not like custard so he likes the crust a lot.

To recap today: sweetened condensed milk is not the same as evaporated milk; an egg nog pie doesn't need to have egg nog in it to taste like it; and people who lose their car at the grocery - well....those types are kinda quirky. Tomorrow Day 10.