This Butterscotch Pie has a silky, custard-like filling with a deep butterscotch taste that pairs completely with the buttery, flaky crust and whipped cream on prime. It’s additionally good for prepping forward, as a result of it must set within the fridge. The right pie for Thanksgiving!
Getting this butterscotch pie excellent was no simple feat. It took numerous checks, a whole lot of trial and error, and even a break earlier than I got here again decided to good it. All the pre-existing recipes I attempted have been missing in that daring, wealthy butterscotch taste I used to be on the lookout for. I thought of making a filling just like the one in my turtle pie (which is superb BTW), however that has extra of a sweet texture. I needed a lusciously clean, custard-like filling for this one. After a whole lot of experimenting, I lastly cracked the code, and let me inform you, it was price each minute.
This pie is every little thing a butterscotch pie ought to be. It’s filled with deep, actual butterscotch taste folded right into a silky, custard-like filling that’s a dream to chew into. All of it comes collectively completely with a buttery, flaky crust – a super, easy base for the wealthy filling. So, when you’ve been looking for the butterscotch pie to make, that is it.
The Butterscotch Pie You’ll Need to Eat Straight from the Fridge
This butterscotch pie is one for the books. Right here’s what makes it so particular:
- Actual-deal butterscotch taste. True butterscotch is made with brown sugar, which is what you’ll discover on this pie. And it’s not mild on taste – it’s butterscotch all the best way.
- Dreamy, clean texture. By SO a lot testing with cornstarch, egg yolks, and gelatin, I acquired the filling excellent. It’s acquired this tremendous creamy, lusciously custard-like consistency that units superbly for the perfect spoon-through texture.
- Good distinction of textures. Talking of silky clean fillings, I can’t get sufficient of the best way this one pairs with its crisp, flaky, buttery crust for the final word stability of crunch and creaminess, chew after chew.
Components and Notes
Time to assemble your components! I used very particular components for this pie. Right here’s what you’ll want, why and what to not swap. (see the recipe card under for exact measurements):
- Chilly unsalted butter and Chilly water – Relating to the crust, these components are tremendous necessary to maintain chilly in order for you a flakey crust. The chilly butter creates pocked throughout the crust that flip into the area between your flakey layers when it bakes. If the butter will get to heat and melts earlier than you bake the crust, you lose the flakiness. So maintain the butter and water chilly.
- Massive egg yolks – I like utilizing room temperature eggs. They whisk collectively extra easily and simply than chilly ones.
- Packed darkish brown sugar – And loads of it. You positively need DARK brown sugar to get that correct butterscotch taste. See the part under titled “A Observe on Darkish Brown Sugar” for extra info.
- Water – The brown sugar dissolves/melts higher in water than cream. We examined this fairly a bit. Follow the water.
- Heavy whipping cream – Don’t attempt to use a lower-fat dairy product right here. It’ll throw off the feel of the filling and it received’t thicken correctly.
- Cornstarch – To thicken issues up.
- Entire milk – Follow entire milk to get the feel excellent.
- Powdered gelatin – I attempted to keep away from the gelatin, however the filling is a bit too smooth with out it. Don’t fret, although! It’s actually not that onerous to make use of. Simply stir the powder into some water, let it sit, warmth it up so it melts, and stir it into the filling. Straightforward peasy.
- Powdered sugar – The powdered sugar contributes sweetness AND construction to the whipped cream. It retains it from wilting, so don’t depart it out. Other forms of sugar received’t yield the identical outcomes.
A Observe on Darkish Brown Sugar
Not all darkish brown sugars include the identical quantity of molasses. Within the photograph, you’ll see mild brown sugar on the left (for comparability), with two totally different manufacturers of darkish brown sugar subsequent to it. I examined each darkish brown sugars, and the lighter one (within the center) was positively higher. The darker sugar thinned out the filling extra and had an overwhelming molasses taste, which masked the butterscotch notes. If you’ll find a darkish brown sugar that’s related in shade to the one within the center, do.
The best way to Make This Butterscotch Pie Recipe
Able to get to it? Right here’s a normal overview of make this completely addictive pie. For extra detailed directions, see the recipe card under.
Make the crust
Pulse 3/4 cups of flour and the salt a few instances in a meals processor. Add the butter and course of till a crumbly dough types.
Add the remaining cup of flour and pulse a couple of instances till every little thing is evenly distributed. The doughy items ought to break up and it ought to look sandy.
Switch the dough to a bowl and blend in 2 tablespoons of the ice water. Hold including extra water (1 tablespoon at a time) till the dough holds collectively when pinched.
Switch the dough to a bit of parchment paper and work it right into a ball. Then, form it right into a dish, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill within the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.
Place the dough on a bit of parchment paper, cowl with one other piece of parchment paper, and roll the dough out right into a circle.
Peel one piece of the parchment paper off, drape the crust over a pie plate, and peel the opposite piece of parchment off. Form the crust and use a fork to poke holes within the backside. Freeze the crust for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the crust with parchment paper, urgent it flush towards the crust. Fill with pie weights (or rice).
Bake for 20-25 minutes, take away the parchment paper and pie weights, and bake for 5-10 minutes.
No meals processor? No downside.
Making pie crust is SO simple with a meals processor, however you may also make this dough by hand! Simply minimize the cubed butter into the flour combination till the biggest items of butter remaining are about pea-sized. Then add the water and proceed with the remainder of the directions.
Make whipped cream and end
Take away the plastic wrap from the pie when set.
Whip the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on excessive velocity till stiff peaks type, then unfold on prime of pie. Add toffee bits, if utilizing.
Good Your Pie Crust
Pie crust isn’t arduous to make, however there are some issues to bear in mind in order for you it completely flakey.
- Hold issues chilly. Not solely do you need to begin with COLD butter, however you need to maintain it as chilly as potential up till you pop the crust within the oven to par-bake (that is what offers you your flakey layers, as talked about above). So that you additionally need to use ice-cold water.
- Don’t over-handle. The warmth out of your palms and/or over-mixing can soften the butter, so combine/deal with the dough solely as a lot as you must.
- Chill the dough. Refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 1 hour earlier than rolling it out to assist maintain the butter chilly.
- Dock the crust. You should definitely prick the crust with a fork earlier than blind baking. This enables steam to flee evenly, so the crust cooks evenly and doesn’t bubble up.
Ideas for Pie Success
I did SO a lot trial and error to get this pie proper. Pay shut consideration to those ideas and tips so you may too:
- Be affected person. When melting the brown sugar and warming the milk, maintain the warmth on the decrease aspect, go gradual, and be affected person. Enable the brown sugar to dissolve fully earlier than including the milk combination to keep away from a gritty texture. Don’t let it boil.
- Whisk consistently. You’re going to be whisking so much right here. From the time you begin heating the milk, by way of tempering the eggs and boiling the filling, maintain that whisk going. This may enable you to obtain a clean, evenly cooked filling.
- Don’t over-boil. Don’t boil the filling for too lengthy on the finish. The cornstarch can begin to break down and skinny out, leading to a runny pie.
- Clear wrap hack. Press clear wrap into the filling earlier than chilling the pie. This may forestall an disagreeable movie from forming on prime.
- Don’t skip the nippiness. This pie wants 4-6 hours within the fridge earlier than serving. The filling will likely be comparatively skinny once you add it to the pie crust, however it would thicken to a extra pudding-like consistency because it chills.
- Chilly heavy cream. Begin with chilly heavy cream (for the whipped cream). If it’s too heat, it received’t whip up and maintain quantity correctly.
The best way to Retailer
- Fridge. Cowl leftover pie with clear wrap, retailer in an hermetic cake service (like this one) or prepare slices in a single layer in an hermetic container. It’ll maintain within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
- Freezer. Depart the whipped cream off, wrap your complete pie in a double layer of plastic wrap, and seal it in a freezer bag. You’ll be able to retailer it within the freezer for as much as 3 months. If you’re able to take pleasure in, let the dessert thaw within the fridge, add some contemporary whipped cream, slice, and serve.
Extra Scrumptious Pie Recipes
Butterscotch Pie
That is the butterscotch pie of your goals. The silky, custard-like filling delivers a daring, genuine butterscotch taste that pairs completely with a buttery, flaky crust. It is pure indulgence.
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Make the crust
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NOTE: I make the crust with a meals processor as a result of it’s faster and simpler, however you may also do it by hand by including the cubed butter to the entire flour and salt and reducing the butter into the flour till it’s all mixed and the biggest items of butter remaining are concerning the dimension of peas. Then add the water and proceed with the remainder of the directions.
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Add 3/4 cup (98g) of flour and salt to a meals processor and pulse collectively 2 to three instances.
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Scatter the cubed butter over the flour and course of till a crumbly dough types, about 15 seconds. The flour ought to all be coated – not one of the flour ought to be dry.
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Add the remaining 1/2 cup (65g) of flour and pulse a couple of instances till every little thing is evenly distributed. The doughy items ought to break up and it ought to look sandy. There shouldn’t be a bunch of huge items remaining. A couple of are advantageous, nevertheless it ought to be largely evenly distributed.
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Transfer the combination to a medium mixing bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the ice water. Begin with 2 tablespoons and add from there. Utilizing a rubber spatula, gently fold every little thing collectively. The crumbs ought to start to type bigger clusters. In the event you pinch a number of the dough and it holds collectively properly, it’s prepared. If the dough falls aside, add 1-2 extra tablespoons of water and proceed to press till dough comes collectively.
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Work simply sufficient for it to come back collectively, then form right into a disc. Wrap disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of an hour or as much as 2 days.
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When able to bake the crust, place the pie crust onto a bit of parchment paper. Cowl the crust with one other piece of parchment paper and roll it out with a rolling pin.
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Peel one piece of the parchment paper off and use the opposite piece of parchment to raise the pie crust and drape it over a 9-inch pie plate. Rigorously peel off the second piece of parchment paper, then form your pie crust. “Dock” the crust by pricking the crust with a fork to permit steam to flee evenly. This helps the crust not bubble up and prepare dinner erratically.
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Refrigerate the crust for 2-3 hours or freeze for about 20 minutes You need to make certain the crust may be very chilly.
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Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line the pie crust with parchment paper. Ensure the parchment paper presses all the best way towards the crust in order that it’s flush. Fill the pie crust with pie weights, dry rice or beans.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, or till the crust simply begins to brown. Take away the parchment paper and pie weights and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or till evenly golden brown. Take away from the oven and put aside whilst you prepare dinner the filling.
Make the filling
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Whisk the egg yolks collectively in a big heatproof bowl till clean. Put aside.
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In a stainless saucepan, mix the brown sugar with 6 tablespoons of water. Stir with a silicone spatula whereas cooking over low to medium-low warmth till the sugar is dissolved, about quarter-hour or so. Watch out to not boil or burn it, flip down the warmth if wanted. Let it soften slowly. If there’s a bit of grittiness left, it’s okay. It’ll proceed to soften within the remaining steps.
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Take away from warmth and stir in 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Put aside.
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Add the powdered gelatin powder to the remaining one tablespoon of chilly water and stir so it’s all moistened. Put aside whereas it blooms and corporations up.
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In a medium saucepan, whisk collectively the cornstarch and salt. Add half of the milk, whisking till the cornstarch is dissolved, then add the remaining milk and remaining ½ cup of heavy cream. Place over medium warmth, whisking consistently, till the milk combination is heat.
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Pour the butterscotch combination into the milk combination and proceed cooking, on medium-low to medium warmth, whisking repeatedly, till it simply begins to boil, about 5-7 minutes. Don’t velocity this course of up.
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Progressively pour a couple of quarter of the butterscotch combination into the egg yolks, whisking consistently, to mood the eggs. Add one other quarter of the butterscotch combination to the eggs, whisking consistently. Pour the egg combination into the saucepan with the remaining butterscotch combination.
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Carry caramel combination to a boil over medium-low to medium warmth, whisking consistently, about 5-7 minutes. As soon as at a rolling boil, boil for about 1½ minutes. Take away from warmth and stir within the butter till it’s melted and included.
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Warmth the gelatin within the microwave for 5-10 seconds, till melted. Don’t boil. Pour the melted gelatin into the butterscotch combination and gently stir to mix.
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Pour by way of a mesh sieve to take away any lumps, then add to the pie crust.
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Cowl with plastic wrap and chill within the fridge for a minimum of 4-6 hours, or in a single day, to set.
Make whipped cream and end
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Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a big mixer bowl and whip on excessive velocity till it reaches stiff peaks.
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Take away the pie from the fridge and take away the plastic wrap. Unfold the whipped cream evenly on prime of the pie.
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To brighten, you may sprinkle with some toffee bits, if desired. Refrigerate till able to serve. Pie is greatest if saved coated or in an air-tight container and eaten inside 4-5 days.
Serving: 1sliceEnergy: 369kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 4.5gFats: 16.1gLdl cholesterol: 131.4mgSodium: 260.5mgSugar: 40.6g
The diet information offered are calculated utilizing a third-party device and are estimates solely. Precise dietary content material might fluctuate based mostly on the components and types you utilize, in addition to portion sizes. For correct outcomes, please seek the advice of a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
