Excerpted from Cheryl and Griffith Day’s Back in the Day Bakery Made With Love.
We found this recipe in Grandma Hannah’s old recipe box, and it’s a keeper. A smooth butterscotch pudding is tucked into a buttery crust and then topped with a brown sugar meringue, which gives the pie a delightful twist and a light caramel flavor.
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup unbleached allpurpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2¾ cups whole milk
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 prebaked piecrust, cooled
For the Brown Sugar Meringue
- 1½ cups packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- 6 large egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Special Equipment
- Candy thermometer
Instructions
In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. Set aside.
In a medium heavy saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar, fl our, cornstarch, and salt. Set the pan over medium heat and gradually add the milk. Continue stirring until slightly thickened, 10 to 12 minutes.
Add about ½ cup of the warm milk mixture to the egg yolks to temper them, whisking vigorously so that the yolks do not curdle, then pour the egg yolk mixture into the rest of the milk mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the filling is thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and fold in the butter and vanilla until the butter is melted and fully incorporated.
Transfer the filling to a heatproof bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the filling so that a skin does not form. Let cool for 30 minutes, or until it reaches room temperature. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set. Pour the cooled filling into the prebaked piecrust. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the meringue topping.
To make the brown sugar meringue: In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar and water and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Brush down the sides of the saucepan with a pastry brush dipped in warm water to remove any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan, then do not stir again. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the syrup reaches 248°F (the “soft ball stage”), 8 to 10 minutes. Keep a constant eye on the thermometer; timing is very important here.
Meanwhile, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer) and beat until the whites hold soft peaks. Turn the mixer off.
As soon as the sugar syrup reaches 240°F, carefully lift the pan from the heat (use an oven mitt) and, with the mixer running on low, carefully pour the hot syrup into the egg white mixture in a slow, steady stream, avoiding the spinning whisk. Be careful: the syrup is very hot, and you don’t want it to splash! Once all of the syrup is added, add the vanilla, raise the speed to high, and beat until the meringue has cooled to room temperature, 5 to 7 minutes. It will be very glossy and hold stiff peaks.
Spoon mounds of the meringue all over the surface of the chilled pie, then create big luscious swirls using a spatula or the back of a spoon. Toast the topping lightly with a kitchen blowtorch. Chill the pie before serving.
The pie can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
About the Book:
Cheryl and Griffith Day, authors of the New York Times bestselling Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook, are back with more recipes to make with love. Who needs store-bought when baking things at home is so gratifying? In this follow-up to their smash-hit first book, the Days share ways to lovingly craft not only desserts, but also breakfast pastries, breads, pizza, and condiments. The book features more than 100 new recipes, including some of the bakery’s most requested treats, such as Star Brownies and the Cakette Party Cake, as well as savories like Chive Parmigiano-Reggiano Popovers and Rosemary Focaccia. Cheryl and Griff share their baking techniques and also show readers how to put together whimsical decorations, like a marshmallow chandelier and a best-in-show banner. With pure delight woven throughout the pages, Back in the Day Bakery Made with Love is sure to please Cheryl and Griff’s fans nationwide.
Buy the Book
Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | Workman
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