The Best Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Pie (with Meringue!)
A from-scratch recipe for a classic Butterscotch Pie with a fluffy meringue topping. The dessert features a homemade all-butter pie crust that is fully blind-baked. The rich, cooked custard filling is made by creating a brown sugar and butter caramel, which is then whisked into a hot milk and cream mixture, enriched with egg yolks, and thickened with cornstarch. A splash of Scotch whisky adds depth. After chilling to set, the pie is topped with a sweet, glossy meringue that is baked until lightly browned.
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes (includes chilling times)
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- For the Piecrust:
- 4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 12 ounces (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup ice water
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- For the Filling:
- 2 1/4 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons Scotch whisky
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- For the Meringue Top:
- 2 egg whites
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Make the Piecrust: In a mixer, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the cold butter and mix until crumbly. Drizzle in a mixture of the ice water and vinegar and mix just until a dough forms. Divide the dough in half, shape into disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (This recipe only uses one disk).
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll one disk of dough out to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Line the chilled crust with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until dry and light ‘blond’ in color. Remove the weights and foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until medium brown. Let the crust cool.
- Make the Filling: In a saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a simmer. In a separate large skillet, melt the butter, stir in the brown sugar, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes, until the mixture caramelizes.
- Whisking constantly, gradually add the hot milk/cream mixture to the caramel.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture to temper them. Whisk in the cornstarch and salt until smooth.
- Whisk the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Add the scotch and cook, whisking constantly, over medium-high heat until the mixture thickens and boils. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla.
- Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie shell. Chill, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Make the Meringue and Finish: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the whites are glossy.
- Spread the meringue over the top of the chilled pie. Bake for 5 minutes until the meringue is lightly browned. Chill the finished pie until ready to serve.
Notes
- The recipe for the pie crust makes enough for two crusts; one can be frozen for later use.
- It is crucial to fully blind-bake the pie crust before adding the filling to prevent a soggy bottom.
- Tempering the egg yolks by slowly adding a bit of the hot liquid is an important step to prevent them from scrambling.
- The pie must be thoroughly chilled for at least 2 hours for the custard filling to set properly before adding the meringue.
Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/butterscotch-pie/