Pawpaw Cream Pie

See also: Pawpaw pretzel pie (can be made vegan or vegetarian)

After going a few years without pawpaws, I just couldn’t take it anymore. This year, the fruit seemed to be more popular than ever, showing up in more recipes, photos, and food discussions. Despite the abundance of this fruit, some foragers debated sharing their locations while others begged for a hot tip.

I’ve never had a hard time finding pawpaws, to be honest, but this frenzy intimidated me. Besides, I think that farmed cultivars just taste better.

So I took an early morning bus ride to the Baltimore Farmers’ Market, where Two Boots Farm sells some of the only farmed pawpaws around.

Although my “home market” is the one in Waverly, as soon as the weather starts changing, I find myself tempted by the downtown market under the JFX, where the echoes of voices and music blend with the overhead cars on the highway. When leafy salad greens give way to collards and cabbage, and corn to sweet potatoes and pumpkins, the Baltimore Farmers Market feels special. The summer crowds start to wane and its a little easier to navigate the loop.

The smells of smoked meats and cinnamon doughnuts greet you as you browse.

After acquiring my pawpaws, I waited in line for coffee. Already, the familiar scent of the pawpaw was wafting out of my bag, threatening to over-ripen as only tropical fruits can do.

I think that a coconut layer cake with pawpaw filling would be pretty good, but that’s for another year. I made my trusty old pawpaw cream pie. Leaving nothing to chance, I stirred the custard with cornstarch, egg yolks and gelatin. Pawpaw seeds slid from my fingers as I tried my best to scrape the pulpy flesh into my pie crust. Although I didn’t have much fruit, the smell permeated my kitchen, and I knew that it would be more than enough to infuse my pie filling with it’s unique flavor.

Now that I’ve become reacquainted with my old friend the pawpaw, I find myself wanting more. Another crisp Sunday morning downtown may be in order. Failing that, I might just recommit. I don’t think I should let another year go by without tasting the magical flesh of our largest native fruit.

Recipe:

Vanilla Wafer Crust

• 1.75 cups crushed vanilla wafers
• scant ½ cup of sugar
• ½ cup melted butter

Combine all ingredients and press into bottom and sides of a large pie dish. Bake at 375° for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Pie filling:

• pulp from 1 or two large just ripe paw paw fruits
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 2/3 cup sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 cups milk, scalded
• 3 eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tb sugar
• baked pastry shell
• optional: 1 packet gelatin

Combine cornstarch, 2/3 cup of sugar and salt in a double boiler or suitable pot, mix well. If you want to serve this as a stiff chilled pie later, you can add some gelatin at this point. Otherwise, the pie has a pudding-like texture. Gradually add milk over medium heat, stirring or gently whisking constantly, just until starting to thicken.

Beat egg yolks in a bowl, whisk in about ¼ of hot custard mixture into yolks and then add back to custard in double boiler. Cook until thickened and bubbly.

Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla. Allow to cool.

Spread paw paw pulp over pie crust and cover with custard.

Beat egg whites (at room temperature) until soft peaks form, and gradually add sugar until meringue is stiffened – spread over custard, sealing to edges of pan. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Serve pie warm or chilled. (If using gelatin, chill to set.)

This is better the second day when the pawpaw has time to infuse the custard.