Golden Staircase Pie

Pastry:
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 cup self-raising flour
1/3 cup cornflour or cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 tsp. milk

First Layer:
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 passionfruit
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

Second Layer:
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
4 tsp. custard powder
4 tsp. cornflour, cornstarch
4 tsp. lemon juice

Third Layer:
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup milk
6 tsp. cornflour or cornstarch
6 tsp. caster sugar, superfine
1 tsp. vanilla
3 passionfruit
1 pinch salt (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

To make pastry, cream butter and sugar, add egg yolk. Sift flours together. Add flours alternately with milk. Roll out and line a 21cm/8½inch pie plate. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

First Layer, mix all ingredients together well. Pour into baked pie case.

Second Layer, heat juices over low heat. Blend custard powder, cornflour and sugar. Add to warmed juices. Stir until thickened. Cover to prevent a skin forming. Cool; then spread over first layer.

Third Layer, heat milk gently. Blend cornflour, salt (if used) with a little of milk. Add to milk, stirring continuously. Cover until cool.

Cream butter and sugar well. Beat in cooled cornflour mixture. Gradually add vanilla. Spread over orange juice mixture. Chill well.

Top with 3 passionfuit. Serve with cream.

User Reviews:

My Australian mother used to make this more than 40 years ago. She only made it 2 or 3 times as she said it took too much time but I still remember it as being delicious.. so much so that I decided to look for it on the internet... and guess what? I am going to try it again. It tastes yummy. I also remember her using gooseberries in one of the layers?

Submitted by Paula on December 02, 2003

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