Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 pie pastry, baked and cooled
Filling
- 360 ml whole milk
- 7 g unflavored gelatin
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 240 ml nesselrode mix
- 120 ml heavy cream, chilled
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 462 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbohydrates
- 48 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 19 g
- Sodium
- 134 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 91 mg
- Potassium
- 323 mg
- Calcium
- 112 mg
- Iron
- 2.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 84 mg
- Phosphorus
- 255 mg
- Zinc
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 112 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.34 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.41 mg
- Niacin
- 4.2 mg
- Folate
- 94 mcg
- Water
- 67 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine the milk and gelatin in a saucepan over medium heat.
Bring the milk mixture to a simmer, stirring until the gelatin has completely dissolved.
Whisk the egg yolks and 60g of sugar in a mixing bowl until the mixture becomes pale yellow and thickens.
Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 82°C (180°F).
Transfer the custard to a clean, cold bowl and stir in the Nesselrode mix. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the remaining 60g of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cooled custard mixture using a spatula.
Whip the heavy cream in a chilled bowl until stiff peaks form.
Fold the whipped cream into the custard mixture until no white streaks remain.
Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
Chef's Notes
- For the best texture, ensure the Nesselrode custard base is completely cool but not yet set before folding in the aerated components.
- Using a chilled bowl and whisk for the heavy cream will result in better volume.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Keep covered to prevent the cream from absorbing refrigerator odors.
Troubleshooting
Custard contains small lumps of cooked egg
Cause: The milk was added too quickly or the custard was overheated in the saucepan.
Fix: Strain the warm custard through a fine-mesh sieve before adding the Nesselrode mix.
Prevention: Temper the yolks very slowly and use a thermometer to ensure the temperature does not exceed 82°C (180°F).
The pie filling is too runny and does not set
Cause: The gelatin was not fully dissolved or the custard was folded while still too warm, melting the cream.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once assembled.
Prevention: Ensure the milk reaches a simmer to activate the gelatin and cool the custard base completely before folding in whites or cream.
Cultural Context
Nesselrode Pie is a mid-20th century American classic inspired by Nesselrode Pudding, a chestnut-heavy dessert created by the chef of Russian diplomat Count Karl von Nesselrode.
