French Custard Pie - with apples (Flan Parisien) (2024)

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Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Chilling 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

US Customary - Metric

• ▢ ¾ cup All purpose (same as plain flour -UK OR cake flour)
• ▢ ⅔ cup white granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 5 large eggs (see note 1)
• ▢ 1 cup whole milk (full fat) (see note 2)
• ▢ 1 cup heavy cream (any dairy whipping cream works)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 medium apples (thinly sliced to at least ⅛ inch / 3mm) (see note 3)

• In a large bowl whisk together the flour,salt and sugar.

• Add the eggs, cream, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

• Chill the batter in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. (see note 4)

• Assemble and bake: Get the batter out of the refrigerator and stir gently, mixing any flour that settled to the bottom during chilling.

• Preheat the oven to 325° F / 170°C (150°C - if you are using a fan assisted oven)

• Line a baking pan (bottom and sides) with parchment paper. Ensure it hangs over the sides of the tin for easy removal after baking. I used a 7.5 inch (19cm) round cake pan. (See note 5)

• Pour the batter into the lined baking pan. Arrange the slices of apples over the batter.

• Bake for 35 - 40 minutes. A skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean once baked.

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• Remove from the oven but leave in the pan for 15 -20 minutes to cool and set. (see note 6)

• Holding on to the overhanging parchment paper, gently but quickly lift out the baked custard pie.

• Slice and serve while warm or refrigerate until serving.

Storage

• The baked French custard pie can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

1. Eggs: It doesn't matter whether you use cold eggs straight from the refrigerator or let them come to room temperature – both options work just fine.

2.Milk: For best results, go for whole milk (full fat) when making this recipe. Just remember that low-fat or skimmed milk won't work well in this French Custard pie.

3. Apples:

• Whether you peel the apples or not depends on the kind you're using. If you've got thin-skinned apples like Royal Gala or Golden Delicious, you can leave the peel on. They soften up nicely while baking and give the baked pie a rustic texture.
• Just make sure to slice them really thin (at least ⅛ inch) so you don't end up with any tough or stringy pieces.
• But if you've got apples with a thicker peel like Granny Smith, I'd suggest peeling them before using in the recipe.

4. Why to chill the batter before baking:

• You can make the batter ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight if you'd like. Or chill for 1 hour before baking
• When you chill the batter before baking, it helps the custard set evenly, avoiding a rubbery texture.
• The cold batter ensures that the custard bakes evenly.
• In addition, chilling the batter reduces the shrinkage of the custard as it cools.

5. Baking pan types:

• I used a 7.5 inch (19cm) round cake pan for this recipe. The French Custard Pie baked up to 1.2 inches (3cm) in height.
• You can use any baking pan for this recipe, but remember that a larger pan will result in a thinner French custard pie.
• Avoid using a springform pan as the thin batter may leak from the bottom since there is no crust in this recipe.

6. After baking, leave to cool for 15-20 minutes in the baking pan:

• During the cooling process, the custard continues to set and firm up. Cooling in the pan helps the custard maintain its shape and structure as it cools.
• Letting the custard pie cool in the pan makes it more stable and less likely to fall apart when taken out, as hot custard is delicate.
• It also makes it easier to handle and transfer to your serving plate. The ingredients blend together, creating an even more delicious flavor combination