Sweet Corn Cream Pie
This sweet corn cream pie is PERFECT in so many ways. From the corn flake crust to the light and milky corn cream mousse, this (almost) no bake pie is great for summer. It's perfect in the way it allows the delicate flavor of corn to come through -- a flavor that blends splendidly with butter, sugar, and mascarpone. What you get is a slightly savory, lightly sweet original pie.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 507kcal
Ingredients
Pie Crust Ingredients
- 175 grams finely ground corn flakes 6 1/2 cups whole corn flakes reduces to 1 1/2 cups
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 pinch Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Corn Mousse Ingredients
- 3 ears fresh corn on the cob kernels removed (1 1/2 cups)
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream divided (see instructions)
- 1/4 cup mascarpone
Instructions
Make the Corn Flake Pie Crust
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190° C).
- Add the finely ground corn flakes, melted butter, salt, and sugar to a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Transfer to a pie dish and use your fingers to press firmly until evenly spread. Moisten your hands or use a measuring cup to press down. The texture will be more sand-like (not sticky like a dough).
- Bake the crust until golden brown, 16-18 minutes. Remove the pie crust and set on a cooling rack.
Make the Corn Mousse
- In a large skillet, combine the corn kernels, sugar, salt, and 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Transfer to a blender and secure with a lid. Hold a towel over the lid to prevent hot liquid from escaping and causing burns. Blend on high speed until very smooth.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour the blended corn into the sieve and use a spatula to stir and press as much liquid as possible through. You can scrape along the under-side of the strainer to remove pools of corn cream.
- Refrigerate to cool. Meanwhile, make whipped cream.
- Add the remaining 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream to a stand mixer. Whisk just until the cream turns fluffy -- avoid over-mixing.
- Remove the chilled corn cream and whisk in the mascarpone until very smooth. Fold in half of the whipped cream (reserving the other half for serving the pie).
Fill the Pie
- Add the corn mousse to the corn flake crust. Refrigerate to set. Serve with remaining whipped cream on top.
Notes
A Word on Choosing Corn
Look for white or bi-color labeled "sweet corn" on the cob. You can use all of the corn from 3 cobs or measure out 1 1/2 cups of the kernels.
Color does not affect the dish flavor or texture, but will impact the final color of the mousse (white vs. pale yellow).
If possible, make this recipe with good quality corn that's in season. It will produce the richest, sweetest flavor.
Snap shot -
In this recipe, you make a crumbly crust out of corn flakes, butter, salt, and sugar -- this is the only thing you bake. You then make a corn infused cream on the stove that gets thickened with mascarpone and whipped cream. The final pie is chilled and served cold with a dollop of whipped cream.
Troubleshooting -
The main issue you could have is adding all of the whipped cream instead of dividing it as the recipe calls for. If this happens, your pie will still turn out, but the strength of the corn flavor will be diluted a bit (more milky).
I made 3 pies to test this recipe and each crust browned slightly differently. Keep watch and pull the crust when it's to your liking (i.e. golden). If you have a super crumbly crust, that's ok. It's likely the result of using corn flakes that were not finely ground enough.
If you like a sweeter pie, I suggest that you add up to 2 tablespoons to the whipped cream because this pie is just sweet (not overly so).
Look for white or bi-color labeled "sweet corn" on the cob. You can use all of the corn from 3 cobs or measure out 1 1/2 cups of the kernels.
Color does not affect the dish flavor or texture, but will impact the final color of the mousse (white vs. pale yellow).
If possible, make this recipe with good quality corn that's in season. It will produce the richest, sweetest flavor.
Snap shot -
In this recipe, you make a crumbly crust out of corn flakes, butter, salt, and sugar -- this is the only thing you bake. You then make a corn infused cream on the stove that gets thickened with mascarpone and whipped cream. The final pie is chilled and served cold with a dollop of whipped cream.
Troubleshooting -
The main issue you could have is adding all of the whipped cream instead of dividing it as the recipe calls for. If this happens, your pie will still turn out, but the strength of the corn flavor will be diluted a bit (more milky).
I made 3 pies to test this recipe and each crust browned slightly differently. Keep watch and pull the crust when it's to your liking (i.e. golden). If you have a super crumbly crust, that's ok. It's likely the result of using corn flakes that were not finely ground enough.
If you like a sweeter pie, I suggest that you add up to 2 tablespoons to the whipped cream because this pie is just sweet (not overly so).Nutrition
Calories: 507kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 341mg | Potassium: 86mg | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 1735IU | Vitamin C: 6.4mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 8.4mg