Butterscotch Meringue Pie Southern Living Food

AUNT JIMMY'S BUTTERSCOTCH MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Make the Filling: In a large saucepan, combine the milk and cream and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Immediately remove from the heat and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the brown sugar, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring constantly, until caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes. (You'll smell a characteristic nutty caramel odor when the butter browns, signaling that the mixture is ready.)
• Whisking constantly, gradually add the butter/brown sugar mixture to the hot milk/cream mixture. If the mixture isn't smooth, blend for 20 seconds with a hand blender or pour through a fine sieve.
• Put the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk in about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture. Whisk in the cornstarch and salt until dissolved. Whisk the cornstarch mixture back into the hot milk mixture in the saucepan. Whisk in the Scotch.
• While whisking constantly, cook over medium-high heat until thick and just boiling. When the mixture thickens, the whisk will leave trail marks on the bottom of the pot and the mixture will have a few large bubbles boiling up to the top.
• Turn off the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour into the prebaked pie shell and set aside while you make the meringue.
• Make the Meringue: In a standing mixer fitted with a whip attachment, whip the whites in a clean dry bowl on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue whipping on medium speed until soft peaks are formed. Gradually pour in the sugar and continue whipping on high speed until stiff and glossy. Pile the meringue onto the pie and swirl to cover, spreading it to the edge. (Making sure it touches the edge.) Bake the pie until the meringue is lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Chill the pie, uncovered, at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.

BUTTERSCOTCH MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan and gently press into the bottom and up the sides. Fold edges under and crimp edges.
• Top piecrust with a piece of parchment paper and add pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and weights and bake another 5 minutes. Let cool.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• In a large heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in half-and-half and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Place egg yolks in a medium bowl and gradually whisk in 1/4 of the hot half-and-half mixture. This will temper the eggs so that they do not curdle.
• Add the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan and whisk in. Cook, whisking continuously, until thick and bubbly, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter until the butter completely melts. Pour into prepared pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until foamy.
• Gradually beat in 6 tablespoons of sugar and keep beating until stiff peaks form.
• Remove plastic from pie and spoon meringue over filling. Spread it all the way to the edges so that it completely covers and seals the filling.
• Bake until golden, about 12 minutes, in in 350 degree oven.
• Let cool completely before slicing.

BUTTERSCOTCH MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Bake pie crust as directed.
• Cool.
• Preheat oven to 400°F Mix flour and salt together in a small bowl.
• Add 2/3 cup milk and beat until smooth.
• Melt butter in a pot over medium heat: add brown sugar and cook until thick and fluffy.
• Add 1 1/2 cups milk all at once.
• Cook over medium heat until butterscotch dissolves.
• Stir a small amount into flour mixture.
• Add to cooked mixture in pot.
• Cook over medium heat until thick.
• Cook additional 5 minutes stirring constantly.
• Stir a small amount of hot mixture into beaten egg yolks.
• Add eggs to mixture in pot and cook stirring for 1 minute longer.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• Pour into baked, cooled shell.
• Prepare meringue and spread on filling.
• Bake for 5-7 minutes until meringue is lightly browned.
• MERINGUE: Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.
• Gradually add sugar, while beating.
• Pile gently onto pie filling.
• Bake.

BROWNED BUTTER BUTTERSCOTCH MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Make crust: Combine cracker crumbs, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt. Add the melted butter and mix to moisten dry ingredients. Press onto bottom and up sides of a 9" pie pan Bake until the edges of the crust are beginning to brown, 8-10 minute.
• Make filling: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, swirl the pan until the butter begins to brown, 2-3 minutes more. Remove from heat.
• In the top half of a double boiler, combine the brown sugar, flour, cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir in the browned butter, milk, and egg yolks until fully incorporated. Cook mixture over simmering water, whisking until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a sppon, about 8 minutes. Pour the pudding mixture into the prepared crust. Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the pie to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate while you make the meringue.
• Make the meringue: With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy. Add the salt and beat until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating until incorporated. Continue to beat until glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
• Remove the plastic from the pudding. Spoon some of the meringue onto the edge of the pudding, spreading it right up to and touching the crust to create a seal. Spoon the rest of the meringue into the center, and using the back of a spoon, spread to cover the entire top.
• Bake until the meringue is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let stand for at least 1 hour before serving.

BUTTERSCOTCH PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°., Line unpricked crust with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake on a lower oven rack until edge is light golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake until bottom is golden brown, 3-6 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven setting to 350°., In a saucepan, melt butter. Remove from the heat; add flour and stir until smooth. Stir in brown sugar. Return to heat; stir in milk and salt until blended. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir about 1 cup hot filling into egg yolks; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in vanilla. Pour into crust., For meringue, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a small bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edge to crust., Bake until meringue is golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.