Also known as Tyrant's Tree Pie, this recipe utilizes three different tree species: American persimmons for the pie filling, chestnuts for the pie crust, and maple for the whipped cream flavoring. A decadent and delicious seasonal pie!
Mix together flours and salt. Cut butter into small pieces, then add to flour. Work butter in to flour with large fork for 2-3 minutes, then incorporate the rest of the way with your fingers.
Make hole in center of flour mixture and pour in beaten egg. Work egg into flour mixture with large spoon for 1-2 minutes, then work the rest of the way in with hands/fingers for another minute. You should be able to form dough into ball when it's ready. If not, add 1 tablespoon ice water, work in quickly by hand and try again. Repeat until dough is able to stick together and form ball. Refrigerate dough wrapped in saran wrap if not making pie crust/pie immediately. If making pie immediately, begin forming pie crust in pie pan as detailed below.
Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Let dough warm about 10-15 minutes if cold stored. Unlike flour-based pie dough, you won't be rolling out chestnut pie crust with a rolling pin. You'll be forming it by hand into your buttered pie pan (it has the consistency of crumbly shortbread). Smush pieces of dough into pan until entire surface and edges have about a 1/4" thick crust layer. Press top edges down with fork for decorative finish.
Poke holes in crust with fork before placing in oven so that any steam can escape as the dough heats rather than causing bubbles/cracks to form in crust.
Place pie crust in pre-heated oven at 350°F and bake for about 15 minutes until the crust just starts to turn golden on the edges. Remove and let cool to close to room temp before adding pie filling.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In large bowl, whisk persimmon and sugar together until fully incorporated. Beat duck eggs in separate bowl, then whisk into persimmon-sugar mix along with melted butter.
In separate bowl, whisk flour into milk, then pour into persimmon mixture and stir/whisk all ingredients together. Pour persimmon filling into lightly pre-cooked chestnut pie crust (from above).
Place pie in oven and bake at 375 for about 30 minutes until filling starts to firm up/set. Then turn oven down to 350 and bake for another 10 minutes, or until pie filling has firmed up and risen in the center.
Remove from oven; let pie cool to room temp on baking rack, then refrigerate.
Combine whipping cream, cream of tartar, and maple syrup in mixing bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy. You'll know it's ready when you can lift up the beater blades and the whipped cream forms peaks. Put in fridge.
Place a large dollop of maple whipped cream on top of American persimmon pie when serving. Extra: grate a tiny bit of fresh nutmeg over the top of the whipped cream just before serving - a little goes a long way but it adds a wonderful flavor and visual interest.
American persimmon pie with chestnut flour crust and maple whipped cream https://www.tyrantfarms.com/american-persimmon-pie-w-chestnut-flour-crust-maple-whipped-cream/