Nana's Butterscotch Pie

I think every family has a signature dessert.  For my mom's side of the family, that dessert is my Nana's Butterscotch Pie.  Over the years, Nana has probably baked hundreds of these delicious pies for holidays, birthdays, and family gatherings.  And let me tell you, they are the stuff of legends.

My mom and her siblings having been known to have pie feuds.  Whole pies are taken and hidden in unlikely places.  Pieces of pie are stollen and replaced with empty plates when the eater is not looking.  I'm pretty sure I've seen my uncle eat half a pie in one sitting.  At breakfast.  This pie is that good!

Last Thanksgiving, I was blessed to spend an entire week at my grandparents' house in Ohio.  While I was there, I was determined to learn how to make Nana's Butterscotch Pie.  She walked me through the process step by step, and we made four pies in one day!  I took detailed notes and had intentions of becoming a regular Butterscotch Pie baker when I returned home.

A few months later, however, sweet Luke was born.  For awhile I was doing well just to get dinner on the table, much less bake homemade pies!  But lately things have finally settled into more of a routine.  And Thanksgiving is right around the corner again!  This year, Jake's family is coming to visit, and I would love to introduce them to the deliciousness of Butterscoth Pie.  So I figured I had better do a practice round to make sure I remembered everything from last year.  (Okay, maybe I just wanted an excuse to eat pie.  But who can blame me?!)

Last weekend Luke and I went over to my parents' house, and they babysat while I made pie.  It was definitely a win-win for everyone! 

So here's what you need to make this amazing pie:

Flour, brown sugar, eggs, butter, milk, salt, and vanilla

Also, you need a prepared pie crust.  Now I must admit, when I make pies I usually go with store-bought pie crusts.  They are so much easier and taste pretty good.  Plus the few times that I have attempted a homemade crust, I have not been pleased with the results.  But the other day I was just thinking how I would really like to perfect the art of pie-crust making.  So I decided to give it another try.

I used the Pioneer Woman's "Perfect Pie Crust" tutorial, which you can find here.  I am a big fan of the Pioneer Woman.  Every recipe I've ever made of hers has turned out great.  Plus I love her step by step photos and instructions!  According to PW, the secret to a perfectly flaky pie crust is a little bit of vinegar (sounds weird, right?) and freezing the crust for about fifteen minutes before rolling it out.  I did not take photos of my crust-making process, but I was very happy with the outcome!  My crust did not look nearly as pretty as hers, but it was flaky and delicious.  PW knows her stuff!

So, regardless of whether you make or buy your crust, poke some holes in it with a fork.

Bake it at 400 for about 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.  It should look something like this:

 

Like I said, my crust wasn't the prettiest.  I think I need a little more practice rolling it out...definitely one of those things that's not as easy as it looks!  But it was quite tasty, and that's what matters right?

 

Okay, now for the best part...the filling!

 

First, wisk together your flour, brown sugar, and salt in a medium sized bowl.

 

 

Separate your egg whites and yolks.  If you're going to make meringue, save the whites (more on this later).  Beat the yolks a little.

 



Pour your milk into a medium saucepan.  According to Nana, you need to use at least 2% milk to get the right texture and flavor. 

 

 

My recipe card for Butterscotch Pie says to "scald" the milk.  I was always confused about what exactly that meant, but with Nana's help last year, I finally figured it out.  :)

 

Turn the burner on to medium heat and start stirring the milk with a wisk.  Continue stirring as the milk heats.  It will start to steam and then tiny bubbles with form along the edges of the pan.  Do not let it come to a boil, and be sure to stir continuously or it will burn.  Once your milk is steaming and you see those tiny bubbles, it is scalded!

 

 

Now take the dry ingredients that you combined earlier and slowly wisk them into the scalded milk.

 



 

Cook over medium heat while wisking constantly until the mixture is thickened.  I forgot to time this, but I'm thinking it was around 5-10 minutes.

 

 

Once it is thickened, take several spoonfulls of the milk mixture and stir it into your egg yolks. 

 

 

This is called "tempering" the eggs. If you add the eggs directly to the hot mixture, they will curdle and you'll end up with little pieces of scrambled egg in your pie filling.  Not exactly what we're going for...

 

Now stir your tempered eggs to the milk mixture.

 

 

Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly.  I used a heat-proof rubber spatula so I could scrape along the sides and bottom of the pan to keep it from sticking.

 

 

Allow to come to a boil and cook several minutes, until thick.  Then remove from the heat and stir in your butter and vanilla.

 

 

Stir until butter has melted and mixture is nice and smooth.

 

 

Pour into your prepared crust.

 

 

At this point, you can make meringue if you want.  Nana used to make meringue on all her pies, and it was beautiful.  But most of our family members didn't really care for it, and it was a lot of trouble.  So now we either eat it plain (trust me, it is completely wonderful on its own) or top it with a little bit of Cool Whip.  I'm personally not a big fan of meringue, so I didn't bother with it.

 

But I did have some leftover heavy cream in my fridge...

 

So I threw it in my Kitchen Aid with a little powdered sugar. 

 

There's really nothing like fresh whipped cream...

 

 

Refrigerate the pie for several hours, and it will be ready to eat. 

 

Now comes the real test: Did it set up? 

 

A few years ago, I attempted to make a Butterscotch Pie, and it did not set up.  It tasted good, but it was a runny, goopy mess.  Not cooking long enough or cooking too long can both mess up the texture.  Apparently it's a delicate balance. 

 

This time thanks to Nana's detailed instructions, it turned out perfectly!  It was thick and creamy and delicious.  And let me say, I think the fresh whipped cream put it completely over the top.  Nana would be proud!

 

 

Nana's Butterscotch Pie

2 cups milk (at least 2%)

1/3 cup flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3 egg yolks

3 Tbs butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

 

1 9-inch pie crust

 

Poke holes in pie crust with a fork.  Bake at 400 about 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool completely.

 

Combine flour, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.  Separate egg yolks and whites.  If making meringue, save whites.  Lightly beat yolks. 

 

Heat milk over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wisk, until it is steaming and small bubbles form around the edges of the pan.  Wisk in dry ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 5-10 minutes). 

 

Stir several spoonfuls of milk mixture into egg yolks.  Then add egg yolks back to the milk mixture.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Bring to a boil and cook several more minutes, until mixture is thick, continuing to stir.  Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. 

 

Pour into baked pie crust.  If desired, top with meringue and bake. 

 

Otherwise, chill in the refrigerator for several hours.  Enjoy plain or top with Cool Whip or fresh whipped cream!

 

~Rachel