Almond Cream Pie

Prepare pie dish

Grease 9-inch deep-dish pie dish with unsalted butter, then lightly dust with flour, shaking out excess.

Mix dry ingredients

Whisk salt, sugar, and flour in a large bowl to combine.

Cut in butter

Add butter pieces and toss to coat. Working quickly and aggressively, rub and smash butter into dry ingredients with your fingers to create shaggy pieces (need some that are flat and thin and some that are pea-size).

Add liquid

Combine gin or vodka or ice water and 4 teaspoons ice water in a small bowl; drizzle over flour mixture, stirring with a fork to evenly distribute.

Form dough

Knead dough in bowl until it starts to come together (it will still look a little dry). Turn dough out onto a surface and knead 1 or 2 more times to incorporate shaggy edges. Press into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic; chill 1 hour or more.

Roll and install crust

Roll out disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thick. Install in pie dish.

Freeze crust

Freeze crust at least 1 hour (and up to 1 week).

Preheat oven

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°F.

Make sugar syrup

Heat 2 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Transfer syrup to a small bowl to cool.

Blind bake crust

Remove crust from freezer, prick bottom with fork and blind bake 13-17 minutes.

Mix custard base

Whisk 9 large egg yolks and 1 large egg in a large bowl to combine. Add cooled syrup and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (if using) and whisk to combine.

Add almond flour

Add 2 1/2 cups ground almond flour or meal and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and whisk to combine.

Blend custard

Transfer mixture to a blender and blend on high until very smooth and airy, about 1 minute.

Fill crust

Pour filling into crust.

Brush with egg wash

Lightly beat remaining 1 large egg in a small bowl and brush crust with egg.

Bake at 350°F

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake pie 30 minutes.

Finish baking at 300°F

Reduce oven temperature to 300°F and continue to bake pie until crust is deeply browned and top of filling is dark brown and set around the edges (a little jiggle in the center is okay), about 40 minutes.

Cool completely

Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing.