Warm Butterscotch Pudding Pie Recipe
Crafting a Spectacular Brown Butterscotch Pie is all about those little tweaks that can elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary. We decided to crank up the classic butterscotch pie by letting the butter and sugar simmer longer, infusing the entire pie with a delightful, nutty flavor that perfectly counters the pie's sweetness.
What's on the Shopping List: You'll need a roll of parchment paper or aluminum foil and some pie weights for lining and weighing down the crust. If you don't have pie weights, you can use some dried beans instead.
The Game Plan: This pie can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to a day before serving.
First things first, you'll want to whip up a batch of Flaky Pie Dough (Game Plan tip).
This delectable recipe was featured as part of our Thanksgiving, Southern Style menu.
- Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie, serving 8 to 10 folks
- Difficulty: A breeze
- Total Time: 3 hours, 35 minutes (40 minutes active time)
Particulars (9)
- All-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface
- 1 recipe Flaky Pie Dough
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved, and pod reserved (or a teaspoon of vanilla extract)
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 9 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Procedures
Prepare your oven: Heat to 350°F, and arrange a rack in the middle. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll the dough into a 12-inch round, about 1/4 inch thick. Gently line a 9-inch pie plate with the dough, trim off the excess, and prick the crust all over with a fork. Line the crust with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil, fill it with pie weights or dried beans, and bake until the crust has set, about 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment paper, and continue baking until the crust turns dry and slightly golden, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Let the crust cool on a wire rack while you prepare the filling.
Ready the filling: Combine the vanilla seeds and pod (or vanilla extract, if using), milk, and cream in a small saucepan, and simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, stirring to combine, and cook, stirring often, until the butter develops a toasty aroma and turns a deep brown color (be careful not to burn it). Carefully whisk in the hot milk mixture and remove the saucepan from the heat to cool slightly while you prepare the egg yolks.
In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Keep whisking until the mixture becomes smooth and the whisk leaves a trail when lifted— around 3 minutes. Stir a third of the milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture using a rubber spatula. Gradually add the egg yolk mixture back to the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan, and set the saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the saucepan, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon – around 7 to 10 minutes. Set the filling aside to cool a bit.
Putting it all together: Pour the filling into the cooled piecrust, and bake at 350°F for approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly. Cool the pie on a wire rack. Let it sit in the fridge for about 2 hours before serving, or serve at room temperature.
Beverage Match: Hétszölö Tokaji Aszú 3 Puttonyos**, Hungary
You don't need to pronounce it to enjoy it. Hungarian Tokaji, particularly the 3 Puttonyos, is renowned as one of the world's richest sweet wines. Though it might not reach the highest levels of richness, its flavors of dried fruit, nuts, honey, and brown sugar will create a harmonious combination with your pie.
- To enhance the nutty flavor of the butterscotch pie, follow the instructions to simmer the butter and dark brown sugar for a longer period to create a delightful, nutty flavor that counters the pie's sweetness.
- After baking and cooling the piecrust, pour the brown butterscotch filling into it, and following the baking instructions, bake until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly, then cool and refrigerate before serving to achieve the best texture.
- When preparing the brown butterscotch filling, ensure the temperature of the milk mixture is controlled, as carefully whisking it into the browned butter and cooling slightly before adding the egg yolk mixture is crucial in preventing the filling from curdling.
