Geez, it’s been a long LONG time since I posted a recipe. Sorry, friends. To apologize for the lapse in recipe postings, I present you with this rich and delicious pie recipe. Old fashioned butterscotch pie. It’s sweet (very sweet), like candy in a custard form poured into a pie crust.
I’m not sure of the origins of this recipe. My grandmother used to make it and the handwritten recipe has been in my mother’s recipe book for ages. As with most old recipes, the details were sparse and it was more than a little vague with the directions. But after whipping it up a few times in the kitchen, I think I’ve perfected it. And now I’m passing the knowledge on to you with a lot more guidance than my grandmother’s antique recipe. You’re welcome.
Here’s what you’ll need:
6 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
9″ baked pie crust
For the pie crust, here are some tips for baking it. Whether or not you use homemade or store bought pie dough, gently lay it in the center of the pie dish. Press the dough into the dish.
Bend over the edges so they are even and make it look fancy by crimping it.
Using a fork, prick all over the crust, bottom and sides.
Then place a sheet of parchment paper over the unbaked crust and fill it with pie weights (I used dried beans). Bake the pie for about 12 to 15 minutes at 450 degrees, until it’s golden.
Now onto the filling.
This filling kind of tastes like homemade classic vanilla fudge turned into a pudding. Sounds yummy, right? And it’s really not even hard to make.
First, scald the milk. “Scald” simply means to warm the milk, without letting it simmer or boil.
Melt the butter and brown sugar together over medium heat, until it’s a golden caramel color.
Separate two eggs, keeping the yolks only. Beat the yolks slightly in a medium bowl. Then mix in the cornstarch.
Add the scalded milk to the brown sugar and butter mixture. Cook and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Then pour a little bit (about a half cup) of the milk and sugar mixture into the yolk-cornstarch mixture. Whisk the milk and yolk mixtures together, until it’s smooth. If you have a couple lumps, don’t worry – there’s still a lot of stirring to come, so those lumps will go away eventually.
Add the smooth yolk/cornstarch/milk mixture to the rest of the milk and sugar mixture. Whisk together and keep stirring over medium heat.
Keep stirring.
And stirring.
And stirring some more.
After an eternity (okay, it’s actually about 5 minutes), the mixture will start to thicken. It’s ready when it’s the consistency of yogurt (not Greek yogurt, just regular yogurt) or thin pudding. It might not seem thick enough, but it will set more once it cools. Mix in the vanilla.
Pour the butterscotch custard into the baked pie crust. Resist the temptation to eat it. Instead put the pie in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours.
While it chills, make some homemade sweetened whipped cream. Because this pie tastes AH-mazing with fresh whipped cream.
I recommend starting with a small slice. This pie is very rich and sweet, so a little bit goes a long way to satisfy your dessert tooth. I’ve found a slice of this pie to also be a cure for a bad day.
There you have it, folks. Butterscotch pie: a dessert to make this weekend and an instant mood booster.
