Me and custard pies go way back.

Back to when I was a tot and my dad would tote home pink boxes of pale yellow custard pies from San Francisco’s Chinatown.

And back to when my older brother started a family of his own and began baking them for his signature Thanksgiving Day dessert.

But I’d never had one that had a sneaky smidge of white miso in it.

Until now.

And boy, is it fabulous.

“Miso & Nutmeg Custard Pie” takes that homespun dessert — and gives it a little more oomph.

The recipe is from the new “I’ll Bring Dessert” cookbook (Hardie Grant), of which I received a review copy. It’s by Benjamina Ebuehi, a recipe developer and food stylist based in London.

That’s not to say she’s made a classic sweet pie taste like miso soup. On the contrary, the miso in this case ends up tasting subtle and balanced. It adds a slightly salty, savory depth much like you’d experience in salted caramel.

This pie, along with 69 other recipes in the book, is designed for those occasions when you live up to the title and volunteer to bring dessert to a gathering. There are hot desserts, cold desserts, vegan ones, and gluten-free ones, as well as ones that can conveniently be made ahead of time.

You’re sure to be the hit of any party if you bring along the likes of “Tarragon Plum Cobbler,” “Chocolate, Cherry, & Amaretto Cream Cake,” “Spiced Milk Flan,” or “No-Bake Sweet & Salty Cheesecake.”

Like any great pie, this one starts with an excellent pastry crust made with plenty of butter. After the dough is patted and crimped into your pie pan, it gets put into the freezer for at least 15 minutes — a key step that guarantees the butter in the dough remains very cold until it hits the heat of the oven, where it will melt and create those air pockets necessary for a flaky, crisp crust.

This pie crust is baked before the filling is added. On the stovetop, heat milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla bean paste, and 1 1/2 ounces of white miso, then slowly combine into a bowl in which you’ve mixed one egg plus four yolks and sugar, whisking all the while. Gently pour into your pie crust, grate nutmeg over the top, and slide into the oven.

The recipe stated to bake the pie for 25 to 30 minutes until the custard is set around the edges but still a little jiggly in the center. When I checked after 25 minutes, my filling was still extremely runny. So much so that I doubted that another 5 minutes in the oven would be enough to change the situation. After Googling a few other custard pie recipes, I noticed that they called for an oven temperature of 325°F rather than the 300°F of this recipe. So I turned up the heat to 325°F and allowed the pie to bake for about another 7 to 8 minutes more. That did the trick, with the edges of the custard setting up well while still leaving the center a little wobbly. I added those directions below in case your pie has the same issue.

Let the pie cool before slicing and serving. What you’ll end up with is a smooth, velvety and creamy custard filling that has the texture nearly of creme brulee. It’s rich, eggy, and milky tasting, with a gentle sweetness rounded with a hint of salty-savoriness. The crust is everything it should be: buttery tasting, flaky, and crisp all over.

Admittedly, my husband tried it gingerly. At the start, he wasn’t too keen about the idea of miso being a player in this pie. But after a forkful or two, he was converted.

I think you will, too.

Miso & Nutmeg Custard Pie

(Serves 12)

For the crust:

190 grams (6 3/4 ounces/scant 1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tablespoon superfine (caster) sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

125 grams (4 1/2 ounces/1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) cold unsalted butter, diced

80-90 milliliters cold water

For the filling:

1 egg, plus 4 egg yolks

70 grams (2 1/2 ounces/generous 1/3 cup) light brown sugar

300 milliliters (10 1/2 fluid ounces/generous 1 1/4 cups) milk

200 milliliters double (heavy) cream

40 grams (1 1/2 ounces) white miso

50 grams (1 3/4 ounces/1/4 cup) superfine (caster) sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Freshly grated nutmeg

To make the crust, add the flour, sugar and salt to a bowl. Add the diced butter and toss to coat in the flour. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until you have a coarse mixture with small chunks of butter. Make a well in the center and pour in 60 milliliters (4 tablespoons) water. Stir to start to bring it together and continue to add water a tablespoon at a time until you have a rough dough.

Turn it out onto a floured surface, and gently fold it over itself a couple of times to bring it together. Pat it into a thick disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours or overnight.

Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough about 1 inch wider than your 9-inch pie dish. Gently roll the pastry over your rolling pin and then lift and unroll it into your dish. Make sure the pastry is completely flush against the edges of the dish, then tuck the edges underneath itself to sit on the rim. Crimp the edges with your fingers. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7).

Dock the base of the pastry all over with a fork. Line with baking paper and then fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake for 15 minutes before removing the baking paper and beans and baking for a further 10 minutes until the edges are golden and the base looks dry.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C (130°C fan/300°F/gas mark 2).

For the filling, add the whole egg, yolks, and light brown sugar to a bowl. Mix to combine and set aside. Add the milk, cream, miso, superfine sugar and vanilla to a small saucepan. Heat gently until the miso dissolves and the milk is hot but not boiling.

Pour the milk over the eggs in 3 batches, whisking continuously to combine. Strain the custard and let it sit for a minute — skimming off any foam that rises to the top — then pour into the pie crust. Sprinkle some grated nutmeg all over the surface and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard is set around the edges but still has a little jiggle in the middle. If at the 25-minute mark, the custard still looks very liquidy, increase the oven temperature from 300°F to 325°F, and continue baking the pie for about another 8 minutes.

Let the pie cool completely before slicing and eating at room temperature. Or wrap and chill in the fridge to store.

Adapted from “I’ll Bring Dessert” by Benjamina Ebuehi

More Delicious Custard Recipes to Enjoy: Creamy Pumpkin Custard

And: Maple Custard from Chez Panisse

And: Apple Custard Tart

And: Custard Tart with Wine-Poached Grapes

And: Egg Custard Tarts

And: Grapefruit Custard Tart

And: Portuguese Egg Custard Tarts by Jamie Oliver