Help! My Pie did not set!

I was making this pie, but the filling didn't set in the refrigator, any ideas on what could have went wrong?

Recipe Below courtesy of http://www.emerils.com/recipe/3032/Praline-Cream-Pie

Filling:
2 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon Steen's Pure Cane Syrup, plus 1 tablespoon for the whipped cream
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup crumbled pralines
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar

For the filling: In a non-reactive sauce pan, combine the milk, sugar, vanilla and syrup over medium heat. Stir slowly to dissolve the sugar and heat just long enough to scald the milk. Remove from the heat.

In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks with the cornstarch and mix well. Add 1/4 cup of the milk mixture at a time to the egg mixture, blending in between each addition, until all is combined. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and over medium heat, stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir until smooth and thick. Remove from heat and put through a fine sieve to remove any lumps. Chill the filling in an ice bath until cold. Fold in the pralines and spread evenly into the pie crust. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until it sets.

Where I might have veered is I prepared the yolk and corn starch mixture before I began the milk. Also, I believe maybe as I was cooling the filling in the ice bath, might have been room temperature or slightly warm before I folded in the pralines. I did not feel my mixture become smooth and thick during the 1-2 minute stir.

Is there any after the fact fixes? Thanks in advance!

Guessing the filling did not cook long enough. You can't go by time. You must cook to the proper consistency. I am not aware of any fixes after the fact. Eat your mistake with a spoon and try again! It should still be delicious.

I agree-- the egg yolks need to be completely cooked, as they contain enzymes that will break down the starch into sugar. If those enzymes are not completely denatured by heat, they will eat all the starch that was thickening your pie!
Jen

Rick T. wrote:Guessing the filling did not cook long enough. You can't go by time. You must cook to the proper consistency. I am not aware of any fixes after the fact. Eat your mistake with a spoon and try again! It should still be delicious.

Sounds like something that would be delicious mixed in with some yogurt for breakfast!!

The directions are really misleading, so this isn't your fault. When you pour the mixture into the saucepan over medium heat, whisk it constantly until it just starts to boil. This probably will take more than 2 minutes, maybe as long as 5. It should be pretty thick at that point -- think pudding/custard consistency, not sauce, and you'll then want to remove it from the heat. Not only would it not be thick enough after 1-2 minutes, but I suspect you're going to have an unpleasant raw cornstarch taste to it given the 1/2 cup called for in the recipe.

You then need to put it through a sieve because there may be some unpleasant cooked yolk particles that keep the filling from being smooth. As for the ice bath, I like to stir over the ice bath for a few minutes, then leave it in the ice bath in the refrigerator.

As for after-the-fact fixes, I agree that there are none, but maybe use it as a topping for cake or ice cream. But if the cornstarch is as raw as I suspect, it might not even taste as good as it would if cooked longer, but you'll know right away when tasting.

Thank you all for the advice...looks like I will have to try again incorporating your suggestions.

At the very least, I still have some leftover pralines which came out delicious.

surbano wrote:Thank you all for the advice...looks like I will have to try again incorporating your suggestions.

At the very least, I still have some leftover pralines which came out delicious.

I wonder if making sure the filling reaches a certain temperature on the stovetop would help, too?

Hi,

I once arrived at a party with a pecan pie. As I began to cut into it, I found under the pecan crust was liquid. I turned on the oven to allow the pie to bake to set, which it did.

I realize this may not apply to your situation, though it may for someone in the future.

Regards,