Christmas Pie Recipe

This Christmas pie is a cherry and cranberry pie with a little diced apple, baked over a thin layer of vanilla custard and topped with pastry stars instead of a full top crust. One 9 inch pie gives 8 slices and takes about 2 hours 20 minutes from start to the first cut, an hour of that just cooling.

The trick is the order. Cook the custard first so it has time to cool and set, then cook the fruit until thick before it goes on top. Cold custard under thick fruit is what gives you a clean red and cream slice instead of a pink puddle. It is my Christmas Eve pie: the stars look special and take five minutes with a cookie cutter.

This Christmas Pie by the Slice

• Makes: one 9 inch pie, 8 slices
• Time: 35 minutes prep, 40 to 45 minutes baking, at least 1 hour cooling
• Oven: 375°F (190°C), center rack, pie on a baking sheet
• Fruit: 1 cup cranberries, 1 cup pitted dark cherries and 1 medium apple, thickened with 2 tbsp cornstarch
• Custard: 3/4 cup whole milk, 2 egg yolks, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp cornstarch and vanilla
• Crust: 2 unbaked 9 inch pie crusts, one for the base and one cut into stars
• Keeps: 3 days covered in the fridge

Where the Holiday Flavor Comes From

This is a fruit pie first. Cranberries bring the sharp, tart edge, dark cherries bring sweetness and that deep red color, and the apple gives the filling some body so it is not all juice. The zest of a whole orange plus 1 tablespoon of orange juice is what makes it taste like December to me.

The spice is light on purpose: 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg. That is enough to warm the fruit without turning it into a spice cake. For a gingerbread note, add a pinch of ground ginger. The custard underneath is plain vanilla and softens the tart fruit in every bite.

Make the Custard First, Then the Fruit

I have made this pie both ways, and custard first wins. The custard needs the most time to cool, and a warm custard under warm fruit softens the bottom crust and slumps when you slice it.

In a small saucepan, whisk the 3/4 cup milk, 2 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch together while everything is still cold. Then set it over medium heat and keep whisking. After 5 to 6 minutes it turns from thin to thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; a line drawn through it with your finger should hold. Let it bubble once so the cornstarch is fully cooked, then take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Scrape it into a bowl and press plastic wrap right onto the surface so no skin forms. Small lumps? Push it through a fine sieve. It needs to be completely cool before assembly, so this is the step to do first, or even the day before.

Cooking the Cherry Cranberry Filling

Put the cranberries, cherries, diced apple, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest and orange juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often. You are done when most cranberries have popped, the apple is tender and the juice has turned glossy and thick enough to mound on a spoon.

Frozen fruit works fine and goes in straight from the freezer. It brings extra water, so give it the full 10 minutes and look for that glossy, thick juice before you stop. Stir in the vanilla, then let the filling cool until it stops steaming. Hot fruit spooned onto custard melts it.

Cutting and Placing the Star Crust

Fit the first crust into a 9 inch pie pan and spread the cooled custard over the bottom in an even layer. Spoon the fruit on top and leave a little space below the rim, since it bubbles up as it bakes.

Roll out the second crust and chill it for 10 minutes before cutting. Cold dough gives sharp star points; warm dough stretches as you lift it. Use two or three sizes of cutter and let the stars overlap a little. The gaps between them let steam escape, so there is no need to cut vents or weave a lattice. Whisk 1 egg with 1 tablespoon milk and brush it over the stars and the edge.

Baking Until the Fruit Bubbles

Set the pie on a baking sheet and bake at 375°F on the center rack for 40 to 45 minutes. Look for a deep golden crust and thick red juice bubbling slowly between the stars. If the stars brown too quickly, lay a loose sheet of foil over the pie for the last 10 minutes.

Cool it at room temperature for at least 1 hour before slicing; the cornstarch in both layers keeps setting as it cools. Dust the stars with powdered sugar just before serving, not earlier, or the sugar melts into the egg wash.

When This Pie Goes Wrong

• Soggy bottom crust: the custard or fruit went in warm, or the pie baked too high in the oven. Cool both layers first and bake on a sheet pan on the center rack.
• Runny slices: the fruit was not cooked until thick and glossy, or the pie was cut before the hour was up. Cook the filling the full 8 to 10 minutes and wait.
• Stars dark before the filling bubbles: tent with foil and keep baking. The filling needs to bubble for the cornstarch to set.
• Juice running over the rim: the pie was filled to the top. Leave a little room, and the baking sheet catches the drips.
• Lumpy custard: the cornstarch met hot milk or the pan was left unwhisked. Strain it through a sieve and carry on.

Making It Ahead for Christmas Eve

Split the work over two days. Make the custard and the fruit filling the day before, cover both and keep them in the fridge. On the day, cut the stars, assemble and bake. Give the cold custard a quick stir so it spreads smoothly.

I like this pie at room temperature, with softly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Because of the custard layer, bring it back to the fridge within about 2 hours. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the slices hold their shape on day two.

More Pies for the Christmas Table

Planning a pie spread? These sit well next to the star pie because each brings something different:

• Pecan pie for something rich and nutty that can be baked two days ahead.
• Cherry pie if your crowd wants pure fruit without the custard.
• Sweet potato pie for a spiced, creamy pie that is served cold.
• Apple pie, the one nobody complains about.
• Custard pie for guests who like it plain and smooth.

For the crust in all of them, my homemade pie crust makes the two rounds this pie needs. Store-bought crusts are fine on a busy week. For a non-pie option, a yule log or a plate of gingerbread crinkle cookies round out the table.

Short Answers on This Christmas Pie

Can I use canned cherry pie filling?

You can swap the cherries and sugar for about 1 1/2 cups of canned or homemade cherry pie filling, warmed with the cranberries and orange until the berries pop. It will be sweeter, so taste before adding more sugar.

Can I skip the custard layer?

Yes. You get a straight cherry cranberry pie with a star top. Bake time stays about the same.

Does this pie need to be refrigerated?

Yes, after serving. The custard is made with egg yolks and milk, so keep the pie in the fridge and do not leave it out for more than about 2 hours.

Can I freeze it?

I do not freeze this one. Cornstarch custard weeps and turns grainy when it thaws. Make the parts a day ahead instead.

Baking it for Christmas Eve? Tell me in the comments how your stars turned out.