White Chocolate Cranberry Pie #49

I’m so sorry to even put this recipe on the Internet. It’s AWFUL. If you want to put this on some type of fail blog, that’s fine, but if you want to make it, I’m not okay with that. This late in the game I’m embarrassed to have such a bad pie enter this experience—I should have learned something, right? This was NOT a winning pie. Warning: don’t make it.

In my defense, some of my favorite holiday cookies are cranberry and white chocolate cookies, so I had really high hopes for this recipe. However, the white chocolate pudding had so much cornstarch (at least I think that's the reason) in it that the consistency was like biting into a ball of mozzarella with a sweet and chalky taste. And unfortunately the cranberry sauce nor the gingersnap crust could save this disaster. We ate one or two bites of two slices and threw the rest away—that’s right, we threw the whole pie away. I think that’s the first time that’s ever happened.

I’m not saying that I don't hope for another white chocolate and cranberry pie, but this certainly wasn’t good enough to make again. Honestly, I don’t even think that it can be salvaged and turned into something better.

Okay, so here’s the recipe so you can make your own judgment, but again, please remember not to make this.

White Chocolate Cranberry Pie
(adapted from epicurious.com)

1/2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), chopped


Cranberry Sauce:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
3/4 cup fresh cranberries


Gingersnap Crust:
3/4 cups gingersnap crumbs, from about 1/2 batch 
1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:
White Chocolate Filling: Whisk 1/4 cup milk, yolks, sugar, flour and cornstarch in bowl to blend. Pour remaining 2 1/4 cups milk into heavy medium saucepan; bring to simmer. Gradually whisk hot milk into yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until custard boils and thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla; whisk until chocolate melts. Cool completely.

Cranberry Sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries, and cook until they start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat, and transfer to a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Gingersnap Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together gingersnap crumbs, brown sugar, flour, and salt. Add butter and stir until mixture is well combined. Press some of the mixture against the side of the bowl with your fingers. If the crumbs do not hold together, add cold water, a little at a time, up to 1 tablespoon, and stir to combine.

Press crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie plate, evenly covering the bottom and sides. Transfer to freezer and chill for 10 minutes. Place pie plate on a baking sheet and bake until crust is fragrant and set, about 10 minutes. Transfer pie to a wire rack; let cool completely.