Butterscotch Pie

Anyone who doesn't like pies quite as much as me is probably getting sick of pie posts. But I don't cater to crazy people who don't like pie. And this pie is right up there on my list of favorite pies. I'm combining my friend Paula's grandmother's filling recipe (you know it's got to be good if it's a grandmother's recipe!) with my friend Andrew's crust recipe...with a little bit of tweaking to both recipes. His crust is just a touch on the salty side, which is the PERFECT counterpoint to the sweet, rich butterscotch custard filling.


Butterscotch Pie (from Paula's grandmother and Andrew)

Crust

• 1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• Rounded 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. shortening
• 1 Tbl. cold vodka
• 2-4 Tbl. cold water

Pulse together flour and salt in a food processor. Add shortening, and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add vodka and 2 Tbl. of water. Pulse until mixture begins to come together. Add more water--a little at a time--if necessary, just until dough comes together.

Form dough into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll out dough, and transfer to a 9-in. pie plate, trimming the excess dough from the edges. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork. Bake at 450 degrees F until golden brown, about 12-14 minutes. Cool completely.

Filling

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. cornstarch
• 1/4 c. dark brown sugar
• 3/4 c. light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
  
• 2 c. milk
• 1 stick of butter, cut into small pieces and softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 Tbl. butterscotch Schnapps

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and egg together until well-beaten. Mix in the cornstarch until thoroughly incorporated.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugars, salt, and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until bubbles appear. Temper the egg mixture by slowly stirring in 1 c. of the hot milk mixture, whisking constantly. Once the eggs have been tempered, add them back into the saucepan of milk, again stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens considerably.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the butter, one piece at a time. Once all the butter has been incorporated, mix in the vanilla and butterscotch Schnapps. Strain the custard through a fine-meshed sieve into the cooled pie crust, and spread evenly. Lay a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the pie to keep out air, and refrigerate overnight. To serve, top with whipped cream, if desired (or if your pie has big, gaping cracks in it that need disguising!).