About the Recipe
While everyone's family has their own Thanksgiving dish traditions, Sue Ellen's are worth incorporating into your family's dinner. The tea-based cranberry sauce is unlike any other, and who can say no to another great pie?
Ingredients
Cranberry Sauce
3 ea Moroccan mint tea bags (or any mint/green tea blend)
1 lb cranberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, defrost first)
2 ea cinnamon stick
3 ea whole cloves
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 c orange juice
½ c apple cider
1 c sugar
1 Tbs brown sugar
Place the tea bags in a heat-safe spouted measuring cup, and pour 1 cup of boiling water over the top. Let steep for 3-5 minutes.
Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until the cranberries burst, and the sauce reaches “coating consistency”: dip a spoon into the sauce, and then once the spoon has cooled slightly, run a finger through the sauce on the back of the spoon. It should leave a clear stripe along the back of the spoon. Remember, the cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools and once it is in the refrigerator, so don’t make it too jammy while cooking!
Preparation
Custard Pie
for the pie crust:
1½ c flour
½ tsp salt
½ c shortening, cold
3-6 Tbs ice water
for the pie:
1½ c evaporated milk
1½ c whole milk
1 c sugar
1 Tbs vanilla extract
7 ea eggs
tt freshly ground nutmeg
Start with the pie crust. Mix together flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the shortening, and use a fork or pastry blender to incorporate. Combine until the shortening pieces are about pea-sized. Add in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the dough comes together and forms a ball.
Turn the dough out onto the counter, and flatten into a ½ thick disk. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to rest, at least 30 minutes, but up to two days.
When ready to make the pie, preheat the oven to 425F. Take the pie crust out of the fridge. Flour a surface to roll it out on, and then lay the pie crust on the flour. Roll out to an 11-inch circle, then transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Use a fork to crimp the edges. Shortening crust is very malleable, so use scraps to fill in any holes. Prebake the pie crust for 8-10 minutes, until starting to cook, but not enough time to turn golden.
In a large bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk, whole milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and 6 eggs. Whisk until the eggs are broken down and the sugar is dissolved.
In a separate small bowl, whisk the remaining egg for egg wash and set aside.
Pour the custard mixture into the pie crust, and use a pastry brush to paint the crust with egg wash. Place in the center of the oven. Cook for about an hour, until set to your desired wobble. Sprinkle nutmeg over the top and cook 5 min more. Remove from the oven and let cool before serving.