More pie for our trip

This is the third dessert pie I brought to Milwaukee, a Blueberry Bavarian Cream Pie. Quite yummy.

I finally picked up a tart pan with a removable bottom. A bunch of recipes use them for crusts that have a crumblier crust that wouldn't be very easy to ball up and roll out. I've attempted them before and tried squishing their bits into my glass pie plates, but they usually end up stuck to the pan. It also has sides that come up very near perpendicular, so it's easier to get the crust even around the corners. The lower angle of the pie plates tends to create thick corners. Of course, the removable bottom makes it super easy to get the pie out of the pan entirely, which makes serving easier. Overall, I like the pan a lot. I might try getting two or three more so I can use them exclusively.

So yeah, this crust is a bit different; it's a sweet pastry and is put together differently.
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter, slightly softened
1 egg yolk

Mix the sugar and flour in a bowl, then make an indent in the center. Mix the butter and egg yolk together in the indent with your fingers. Once it's combined, mix the flour and sugar into it. Once it reaches that crumbly-but-sticks-together-if-you-squeeze-some-of-it stage, sprinkle it into the tart pan. Squish it against the pan, starting on the sides and making the corner a nice 90 degrees. I used a fork. Then chill the crust for thirty minutes. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or so, until golden brown.

2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
4 cups blueberries (I actually had some extra that didn't fit. Snack!)

Heat the milk and vanilla on medium heat just until it boils. Let cool for ten minutes. In a small bowl, bloom the gelatin with the water. Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a mixing bowl and, while whisking, slowly add the warm milk. Return to saucepan on medium heat. Stirring constantly, heat to 180 degrees or until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.

Fill a bowl with ice water in the sink. Divide the contents of the saucepan (known as Crème Anglaise), taking one cup to become the Bavarian Cream. The remainder will be served as a topping or side for each slice. Cool it in the ice water, whisking occasionally.
Meanwhile, combine the one cup of hot Anglaise with the bloomed gelatin. Mix well, until gelatin is completely dissolved. Fold in as many of the berries as will fit, then pour into the pie crust, spreading to make it even. Chill until fully set, about two hours.

The Bavarian Cream was surprisingly stiff. I had never had it before, so I had no concept of it. To explore this, I've been preparing Bavarian Creams separately. The first batch followed a similar recipe exactly, which used whipped cream to lighten the consistency. These were also quite stiff, so I'm experimenting a bit. I used less gelatin, which resulted in a softer cream. I quite like it. I also want to try using brandy to spike the desserts.

All in all, this was a fun pie that opened new avenues for me. I am excited.

And it was delicious.