Sweet Tea and Cornbread: butterscotch pie

One of our favorite pies is a butterscotch pie. This is not a pie we make all that often for some reason though. It seems that chocolate, lemon and coconut cream always are made more in the meringue pie varieties. However, the butterscotch pie is one that is a lot of folk's favorite. They just don't know anyone who makes it anymore. I am not sure why, because it's really very easy. This recipe is one of the easiest. Here is what you will need:

1 9" pie shell, baked
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
pinch of salt
3 eggs, separated (leave the eggs out of the refrigerator for a couple of hours beforehand to let them come to room temperature)
2 cups milk
4 Tbs. cornstarch
1/4 stick of butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Meringue

3 egg whites

1 tsp. baking powder
4 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp. vanilla

Bake pie shell in a 350 degree oven just until it is starting to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Beat egg yolks with milk and add to dry ingredients in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir constantly and cook until it thickens. You can also do this in the microwave. Cook for about 2 minutes on high, remove and whisk well, return to microwave and cook on high for another 4 minutes or until it is thickened. Once thickened, add butter and vanilla and beat well until blended.

Pour filling into the pie shell.

For the meringue, add 1 tsp. of baking powder to the egg whites and start to beat the whites with an electric mixer on high. Gradually add in 4 Tbs. of sugar, continuing to beat. When stiff peaks start to form (this takes some time) add in 1 tsp. of corn starch and 1 tsp. of vanilla. Don't go too heavy on the vanilla or it will change the color of your meringue or use the colorless.

This is what the meringue looks like when it's stiff enough.

Spread the meringue over the pie filling and be sure to go to the edges of the crust and seal it. This is a very important tip when making a meringue pie, because if you don't seal the edges of meringue around the edge of the crust, your meringue will sink in and not stand up tall on the pie when you brown it. Place it in a preheated 350 degree oven for 13 - 15 minutes just until slightly browned.

I am not sure which goes over better during the holidays when it comes to cakes or pies! Oh, of course, the big three layer cakes with the beautiful whipped frosting and sometimes fillings between the layers and nuts all over the top, get all of the oohs and ahhs and attention, but sometimes I find that the pies really go faster than the cakes. So, my theory is that you need some of both! Of course, if you are from the South, you know that is never a problem and there will always be plenty of both! Here are ten of the pies I get requests for the most that are really great for the holidays! This is just a fraction of the pies, so if you don't find what you are looking for, just ask, it is probably on the site or I can add it to my list of things to make.

To go to the recipe for each pie, click on the name of the pie under each picture!