Spiced Custard Pie with Sesame Crust

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and pulse until coarse, pea-sized crumbs appear. With the machine running, add 2 tablespoons ice water and sesame seeds and process until the dough just holds together. Squeeze a small amount of dough between your fingers and if it is very crumbly, pulse in another tablespoon of ice water. Do not overprocess.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and push together into a rough ball. Knead a few times just to combine and flatten into a flat disc. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to overnight).

When ready to bake pie, combine half-and-half with 1/3 cup sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, ,stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Cover and steep the mixture for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F with rack in lower third of oven. Place a foil-lined baking sheet in the oven. On a floured surface, roll out dough into a 13-inch round. Line the pie pan with the dough. Trim, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang around the pan. Tuck the overhanging dough under and crimp as desired. Transfer pie dish to the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Line the dough with a piece of foil and top with pie weights or beans. Place the pie pan on the preheated baking sheet and bake until the edges are lightly golden, 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until crust is light gold in color, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove pie dish from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool at least 10 minutes, leaving foil-lined baking sheet in the oven. Lower oven temperature to 350°F.

In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture forms pale yellow ribbons, about 2 minutes. Rub a small amount of the egg mixture in between your fingers to check for any undissolved sugar. If any remains, continue beating the mixture for a bit longer. Gradually whisk 1/2 cup warm cream mixture into the egg mixture to gently warm (or temper) the eggs. Continue to gradually whisk in remaining half-and-half mixture into egg mixture until completely combined. Whisk in vanilla. Place the pie pan on the baking sheet in the oven and strain custard into the cooled pie crust (do not overfill.) Bake until the center is just set, 55 to 65 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool to room temperature. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days ahead).

If you'd like to create a burnt-sugar crust, sprinkle remaining tablespoon sugar evenly over top of tart just before serving. Light blowtorch and move flame evenly back and forth just above top of tart, avoiding crust, until sugar is caramelized and slightly browned (be careful not to burn sugar). Let tart stand 5 minutes before serving.