Page 164 - United States of Pie

Browned Butter Butterscotch

Meringue Pie

Simple butterscotch—made with milk, brown sugar, and, of

course, butter—is delicious enough all on its own. But the
butterscotch in this indulgent pie is made even more sumptuous with
the addition of brown butter. Brown butter has been enjoying a
culinary resurgence for a couple of decades; chefs have been
coating butternut squash ravioli with brown butter and sautéing
vegetables in this smooth sauce. But the editors of Farm Journal’s

Complete Pie Cookbook were on to this delicious ingredient much
earlier. Published in 1965, their recipe recommends melting and then
browning tablespoons of butter to create a nutty base for this rich
pudding. I am glad that it did!
The pudding all on its own is truly a treat, and so delicious you
may want to eat it as is—but exercise some restraint and you will be
rewarded. Spoon it over a slightly salty, crisp, and crumbly graham

cracker crust, and mound it with a meringue topping, and you will
have a pie that is sure to become a favorite.

1 Graham Cracker Crust

For the pudding
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
¾ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch