Butterscotch Cream Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie

The rich caramel flavor in this pie is achieved by heating the dark brown sugar and butter until it caramelizes and develops a full, buttery flavor. Finished with swirls of whipped cream, this pie is a perennial favorite.

Ingredients

  • All-Butter Pie Crust, blind baked, single crust
  • 1/4 cup (1.2 oz) cornstarch
  • 3 cups (26 oz) milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick; 4 oz) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (7.8 oz) packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Sweetened Whipped Cream

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the cornstarch with ½ cup of the milk, the eggs, egg yolks, and salt and whisk until free of lumps. Set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, heat the remaining 2½ cups milk until warm. Remove the pan from the heat. Set aside.
  3. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and water over medium heat, stirring to combine and dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil; do not stir the mixture. Cook until the mixture registers 250°F on a candy thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat.
  4. Stream the warm milk slowly into the hot sugar mixture, whisking continuously to dissolve the sugar and combine the milk. If the sugar is allowed to solidify, the mixture will separate.
  5. Gradually add one-third of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking continuously, to temper the eggs. Return the tempered egg mixture to the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan and cook, stirring continuously, until it reaches a boil. Continue to cook the filling, stirring continuously, for 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
  6. Transfer the filling to the prepared crust. Smooth and level the filling with an offset spatula. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling to prevent a skin from forming. Let the filling cool, then refrigerate the pie until set, 1 to 2 hours.
  7. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream on top of the filling. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but no longer than 2 hours, before serving.

CIA FOODIES

Butterscotch Cream Pie

Butterscotch Cream Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie The rich caramel flavor in this pie is achieved by heating the dark brown sugar and butter until it caramelizes and develops a full, buttery flavor. Finished with swirls of whipped cream, this pie is a perennial favorite.

Ingredients

  • All-Butter Pie Crust, blind baked, single crust
  • 1/4 cup (1.2 oz) cornstarch
  • 3 cups (26 oz) milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick; 4 oz) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (7.8 oz) packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Sweetened Whipped Cream

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the cornstarch with ½ cup of the milk, the eggs, egg yolks, and salt and whisk until free of lumps. Set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, heat the remaining 2½ cups milk until warm. Remove the pan from the heat. Set aside.
  3. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and water over medium heat, stirring to combine and dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil; do not stir the mixture. Cook until the mixture registers 250°F on a candy thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat.
  4. Stream the warm milk slowly into the hot sugar mixture, whisking continuously to dissolve the sugar and combine the milk. If the sugar is allowed to solidify, the mixture will separate.
  5. Gradually add one-third of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking continuously, to temper the eggs. Return the tempered egg mixture to the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan and cook, stirring continuously, until it reaches a boil. Continue to cook the filling, stirring continuously, for 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
  6. Transfer the filling to the prepared crust. Smooth and level the filling with an offset spatula. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling to prevent a skin from forming. Let the filling cool, then refrigerate the pie until set, 1 to 2 hours.
  7. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream on top of the filling. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but no longer than 2 hours, before serving.

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