Favourite Butterscotch Pie
Submitted by Lovey115
Butterscotch pie cooks brown sugar and butter into a real caramelized butterscotch base, then folds it into a creamy egg-yolk custard topped with golden baked meringue. A retro diner classic.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minThis is butterscotch pie done the old-fashioned way. The first move is browning the brown sugar with butter until it transforms into actual butterscotch, deep caramel color, nutty molasses notes, the works. Most modern butterscotch pies skip this step and end up tasting like brown-sugar pudding instead of the caramelized real thing.
Evaporated milk plus regular milk is the dairy combination that gives this filling its silky body. The evaporated milk has slightly cooked-down sugars that reinforce the butterscotch character, while the fresh milk thins the custard to a pourable consistency.
The meringue topping seals everything in. Beaten egg whites and a couple of tablespoons of sugar bake to a golden, marshmallow-like crown that contrasts with the dark, sticky-sweet filling underneath.
Pro Tips
- Don’t rush the brown sugar browning, butterscotch is patience over heat, and sugar burns from caramelized to bitter in seconds.
- Temper the egg yolks by whisking a small amount of hot milk into them before combining, dumping cold yolks straight into hot liquid scrambles them.
- Spread the meringue all the way to the edges of the pie crust, this seals it and prevents the meringue from shrinking and weeping.
- Bake the meringue just until lightly browned, overbaking toughens the surface and pulls it away from the filling.
Variations
- Add a tablespoon of bourbon or dark rum to the filling for a boozy edge.
- Sprinkle pecans or flake salt over the meringue for textural contrast.
- Skip the meringue and top with whipped cream for a finish that holds in the fridge longer.
Ingredients
Directions
Put packed brown sugar and margarine in pan and brown. Add ½ cup of water slowly and cook unitl sugar dissolves.
In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar, cornstarch and salt. Heat can of evaporated milk.
In a separate bowl, mix egg yolks and milk. Add egg/milk mixture to dry ingredient’s mixture. Pour hot sugar mixture into heating milk. Add egg mixture. Cook unitl thick. Pour into baked crust.
In a separate bowl, make meringue by beating egg whites with an electric mixer. Slowly add sugar. Beat until light and fluffly and stiff peaks form. Top pie filling with meringue and bake until meringue is golden brown.
Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.
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