Browned Butter Butterscotch Pie

I would like to talk to you a moment about something that blew my mind just a few days ago.  So much so, infact, that I actually sent it out of the house after just one piece, though not before saving another.  Browned butter butterscotch pie is SO GOOD, it's taking quite a bit of will power not to make this again tonight.  I am planning on making it during an upcoming winter vacation, but I can hardly wait!

I need to tell you that this is first and foremost a pudding pie.  Sweet, delicious, complex butterscotch pudding, in a flaky crust and a soft and light whipped cream.  But it's that flaky crust that I'm most likely to change next time, sure it's good, but I hate making pie crust, it just so happened I had one in the fridge waiting to be used.  Next time I'm going to easy route, graham cracker crust.  So simple, can't screw it up (which is a theme these days.)

I sincerely apologize for the picture, as you can see it is a sloppy pie, pudding after all.  Maybe next time I'll be a little neater.

Browned Butter Butterscotch Pie


For the filling:
1 pie crust, blind baked and cooled
125 g (1/2 c) unsalted butter
225 g (1 c +2 Tbsp) dark brown sugar
1/4 c cornstarch
22 g (3 Tbsp) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1/2 c milk
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp bourbon whiskey (I didn't have this)

For the whipped cream:
1 c heavy cream
3 Tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla

For the filling:
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling regularly until lightly browned, approximately 10 minutes.  Add the brown sugar to the butter, cook until sugar is completely melted and a paste is formed.

Combine evaporated milk and regular milk and pour a little into the sugar mixture.  Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Dump in the remaining milk.

In a separate bowl combine the cornstarch, flour and salt.  Pour about a 1/2 cup of the milk/sugar mix into the cornstarch and whisk until smooth.  Pour the now wet cornstarch mixture into the saucepan, whisking constantly.  Bring to a boil for not more than one minute, until just thickened.

Stream a 1/2 cup of the cornstarch/sugar mixture into the egg yolks, tempering them.  Pour this mix back into the pan and cook for 30 seconds and remove from heat.  Stir in the bourbon (if you have it.)  Allow the pudding to cool until it is just warm about 15 minutes, then strain the pudding through a mesh strainer and pour into cooked pie crust.

Place a piece of plastic wrap over the top so a crust does not form and refrigerate the pie until it is cold, at least two hours.

For the whipped cream:
In a stand mixer, or a medium sized bowl whip all the ingredients until soft peaks are formed.  Top the pie with whipped cream and stuff your face.