Strawberry Creme Brulee Pie

Stages of cooking

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1. Toss strawberries with brown sugar in a bowl and let stand while you complete remaining steps, about 30 minutes.
   
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
   
3. Whisk flour, 1 tablespoon white sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Cut butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, and drizzle in milk. Mix just until the dough holds together. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll out into a 10-inch circle. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Prick the dough several times on the bottom and sides; fill with dry beans or pie weights.
   
4. Bake the crust in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove crust and let cool.
   
5. Bring cream just barely to a simmer in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk egg yolks thoroughly in a bowl with 1/4 teaspoon salt and add about 1 tablespoon of the hot cream to the beaten yolks, whisking constantly. Continue to add and whisk hot cream into the yolks until about 2/3 cup of cream has been added, then whisk the yolk mixture into the remaining hot cream in the saucepan, pouring it in a thin stream. Continue whisking until cream mixture is thick and smooth, about 5 more minutes; do not let boil or custard will curdle. Remove custard from heat and let stand until it reaches room temperature, about 30 minutes.
   
6. Drain juice from strawberries and layer them into the bottom of the baked pie shell. Spread cream custard over the berries; refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.
   
7. Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
   
8. Sprinkle 1/4 cup white sugar evenly over top of pie and broil until the sugar is browned, about 5 minutes. Let pie stand 5 minutes for sugar topping to cool before serving.