Butterscotch pie recipe
A recipe from the files of Deanna S. Funderburg. Haven't tasted it yet, but the aroma is delicious.
Have a 9" baked pie shell ready. I'm using a graham cracker crust, but I'm sure it would work fine in a traditional pastry. Also, it turned out that this required about 45 minutes of slaving in front of a hot stove; you have been warned. The italics are my notes on the recipe.
Melt in a skillet or saucepan over low heat 6 T butter. Browning butter is a precision task. I read up on it a little before attempting, because it can go from brown to black in seconds. Constant swirling of the pan and undivided attention is the name of the game. As soon as you see any particles start to turn brown, be prepared to remove it from heat at a moment's notice. It does give off a pleasant, nutty smell when ready. When it is golden brown, add 1 C dark brown sugar. Boil until foamy, stirring constantly. I didn't exactly stir constantly, but would stir vigorously for a while, then let it sit, and repeat. It gets to be a light brown foamy color around the edges of where the bubbling of the boiling happens. Stir in 1 C. boiling water. Remove from heat.
Mix in a separate saucepan 3 T cornstarch, 2 T flour, 1/2 t salt, 1 2/3 C milk. Add sugar mixture gradually until smooth. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until boiling. I can't imagine that this would actually come to a boil over low heat. I started at med-low on my electric range and gradually increased the heat every couple of minutes until I was at med-high. Then the thickening kicked in and it finally started boiling. It's really rather unattractive at this point--rather like gravy. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir half into 3 slightly beaten egg yolks, then blend back into hot mixture. Boil 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. Blend in 1 t vanilla. Cool.
Pour into prepared pie shell. Top with sweetened whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted nuts. Or not, obviously, if some of your friends are allergic to nuts. Serve cold. I imagine you should chill this for a few hours before serving. I'm putting mine in the fridge overnight, and offering the whipped cream on the side tomorrow.
Okay; I just had a taste of the partially cooled filling, to make sure it's fit for human consumption. Mmmmm...I mean, er, nope...I can't offer it to my friends. I should really take care of it myself and make sure it's safely disposed of...in my belly!
Have a 9" baked pie shell ready. I'm using a graham cracker crust, but I'm sure it would work fine in a traditional pastry. Also, it turned out that this required about 45 minutes of slaving in front of a hot stove; you have been warned. The italics are my notes on the recipe.
Melt in a skillet or saucepan over low heat 6 T butter. Browning butter is a precision task. I read up on it a little before attempting, because it can go from brown to black in seconds. Constant swirling of the pan and undivided attention is the name of the game. As soon as you see any particles start to turn brown, be prepared to remove it from heat at a moment's notice. It does give off a pleasant, nutty smell when ready. When it is golden brown, add 1 C dark brown sugar. Boil until foamy, stirring constantly. I didn't exactly stir constantly, but would stir vigorously for a while, then let it sit, and repeat. It gets to be a light brown foamy color around the edges of where the bubbling of the boiling happens. Stir in 1 C. boiling water. Remove from heat.
Mix in a separate saucepan 3 T cornstarch, 2 T flour, 1/2 t salt, 1 2/3 C milk. Add sugar mixture gradually until smooth. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until boiling. I can't imagine that this would actually come to a boil over low heat. I started at med-low on my electric range and gradually increased the heat every couple of minutes until I was at med-high. Then the thickening kicked in and it finally started boiling. It's really rather unattractive at this point--rather like gravy. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir half into 3 slightly beaten egg yolks, then blend back into hot mixture. Boil 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. Blend in 1 t vanilla. Cool.
Pour into prepared pie shell. Top with sweetened whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted nuts. Or not, obviously, if some of your friends are allergic to nuts. Serve cold. I imagine you should chill this for a few hours before serving. I'm putting mine in the fridge overnight, and offering the whipped cream on the side tomorrow.
Okay; I just had a taste of the partially cooled filling, to make sure it's fit for human consumption. Mmmmm...I mean, er, nope...I can't offer it to my friends. I should really take care of it myself and make sure it's safely disposed of...in my belly!