Adding pretzels to the crust of this butterscotch pie creates a sweet and salty surprise.
Have you ever tried Butterscotch Pie? I honestly had never heard of it until I saw Paula Deen's recipe. It was during my pie kick last week when I decided to search through a few of my cookbooks and find a couple of pies to make. I didn't get any further than Paula's book, though. Both recipes I made came from there and I'm just fine with that.
You wouldn't believe how easy it is to make the butterscotch filling for this pie! The steps are very similar to the Double Chocolate Cream Pie posted earlier this week. You quickly cook it up on the stove top then pour into the prepare pie crust and allow to cool in the fridge. Within a few hours you're ready to devour it!
And devour it, you will. Or, you'll want. Depending on how much self control you have.
Although it's optional, I definitely recommend adding the pretzels in the pie crust. The sweet and salty combo is incredible.
Butterscotch Pretzel Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- ¾ cup pretzel crumbs
- ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
For the Filling:
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 Tablespoons cold butter , diced
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Topping:
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, toss together the pretzels and graham cracker crumbs with the granulated sugar. Stir in the melted butter until evenly moist. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate and press to line the bottom and sides. (Tip: Use a ½ cup dry measuring cup to help press the crust evenly up the sides of the plate.) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack.
For the Filling:
- Whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. Add the egg yolks and ½ cup of the milk, then whisk until incorporated.
- In a large saucepan, bring the rest of the 1 ½ cups of milk to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately remove from the heat and pour the hot milk into the egg mixture in a very thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it returns to a boil and the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the butter and the vanilla, then whisk until the filling is smooth.
- Pour the filling into the cooled crust-lined pie plate and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to smooth it out evenly. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic is flush to the surface of the filling in order to avoid a film developing on top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (I prefer at least 4 hours to ensure it is completely cold and set).
For the Topping:
- When ready to serve the pie, make the whipped cream topping. Beat the whipping cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks almost form. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, then continue to beat until soft peaks form (thickened to the consistency of whipped cream). Spread evenly over top the pie. Cut into slices and serve.
- Recipe Source: Adapted from Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible
