I'm obsessed with Matcha, so while in Japan (read more about my trip HERE) , I bought and tried every Matcha flavored thing that I saw. Some things, such as Matcha soft serve and Matcha ice cream sandwiches were amazing, while Matcha gummies and Matcha cookie biscuits, and the pure Matcha we had at our tea ceremony after our Kaiseki meal, were way too bitter for my taste. I'm just one of those people that drinks their coffee with lots of cream and sugar, and I'm the same way when it comes to Matcha. Enter this Matcha Custard Pie, which is indulgently sweet, buttery, and creamy. The recipe for the custard filling comes from THIS Matcha Pie from Four & Twenty Blackbirds in NYC. For the crust, I ground up Matcha creme sandwich cookies that I found at Trader Joe's (!!!) and made the pie crust with that to really amp up the Matcha flavor.

MATCHA CUSTARD PIE

Inspired by Four & Twenty Blackbirds

For the Matcha custard:

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons culinary grade Matcha powder
1/2 cup melted butter
3 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Matcha cookie crust:

1 package Trader Joes Matcha Joe-Joe’s (If you are unable to get your hands on these, you can substituteyour favorite all butter pie crust recipe)
4 tbsp. butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt

RECIPE

1. At least 2 hours before you plan to bake, make and par-bake the pie crust by placing the cookies in a ziplock bag, smashing the cookies to a fine crumb with a rolling pin, mixing with melted butter, and pressing the mixture into a pie pan. Par bake at 325 degrees for 8 minutes, remove from oven, and allow to cool.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, salt, and matcha powder. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir in the melted butter, then the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Mix briskly until the filling is thin and light colored. Stir in the heavy cream, followed by the vanilla extract.

3. Strain the filling through a fine-mesh sieve directly into the pie shell. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating 180 degrees when the edges start to set, about to 35 minutes into baking. The pie is finished when the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is no longer liquid but still wobbles slightly. Be careful not to over-bake or the custard can separate; the filling will continue to cook and set as it cools. Allow pie to cool completely on a wire rack, 3 to 4 hours. Slice and serve.