A New Pie

Every month each of us picks a whole new meal to try; the meat, the veggie, the starch, maybe a bread, and a desert. This last month Mama told us that we couldn't use Pinterest to get our recipes, (like we usually do), that we had to get them out of the many cookbooks we have. I just organized our bookshelves so I know just how many we have; and that's a whole shelf full. =)
I was looking for my new desert when I came across this Butterscotch Pretzel Pie out of Paula Deen's cookbook. Oh my goodness! It sounded so amazing just reading the ingredients. "This is the perfect pie for those times you don't know if you want salty or sweet", according to Paula Deen.
So yesterday I made it, even though I am not cooking my meal for a few days. The crust had to bake for 8 minutes before you make the filling and when I pulled it out of the oven the sweet/salty scent just took over the kitchen. Jennifer walked through and said something smelled good, and all it was was the crust. This is just the beginning!
The filling was super easy to make. Just mixing, boiling, mixing and boiling. Then pour it in the crust and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When your ready to eat it, whip up the topping which is homemade whipped topping, top the pie and serve it.
We have never tried a butterscotch pie and Mama was kind of leery of it. This pie is really light and creamy. The filling is like a pudding, which made Amy not like it, but the textures, and the flavors blend so well. It really is the perfect desert if you don't know if you want salty or sweet. In the end I think we agree its a keeper.

(This pie was hard to shoot because of the closeness in the colors.)

This recipe is from Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible

Butterscotch Pretzel Pie

Crust
3/4 cup pretzel crumbs
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 TBS sugar
6 TBS butter, melted

Filling
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt
3 large egg yolks
2 cups whole milk
2 TBS cold butter, cut into small bits
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping
1 cup cold heavy cream
3 TBS sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. To make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the pretzel crumbs, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until they form an evenly moist, crumbly mixture. Press evenly onto the bottom and up the side of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until the crust is fragrant and firm, 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. To make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of milk and whisk thoroughly to combine.
4. In a large saucepan, bring the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat. Whisking constantly, very slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture. Keep whisking so that you don't scramble those eggs. Return the entire mixture to the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla until smooth.
5. Pour the filling into the cooled piecrust and smoothe the surface with a small spatula. Cover the surface entirely with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Make sure the plastic wrap is right up against the filling.
6. Place the pie in the fridge until thoroughly cooled and set, at least 2 hours.
7. just before serving, make the topping: In the bowl use an electric mixer, whip the cream and sugar at medium-high speed to form soft peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the pie and serve.

Have a blessed day.
Bethany