Butterscotch Pie

Pastry:

1 1/2 C flour
pinch salt
1/2 C Crisco
3 1/2 T ice cold water

Usual preparation, but cut flour and shortening to the size of peas or slightly larger and handle dough as little as possible. Roll out between 2 layers of waxed paper to minimize that amount of flour that the pie dough picks up in the rolling process. Bake 18 minutes at 425 degrees F. Cool.

Butterscotch filling:

1 stick butter
3/4 C dark brown sugar
3/4 C Splenda brown sugar
Melt butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir constantly for 5-7 minutes over medium heat until dark brown with a nutty aroma.

2 C milk
4T cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt

Divide milk into 1 2/3 C and 1/3 C. Mix 1/3 C milk with cornstarch and salt until cornstarch is dissolves. Set aside. Add 1 2/3 C milk to the butterscotch mixture. The Butterscotch may harden just a bit. Strain through a sieve. Take remaining hardened butterscotch and put in small saucepan with about 1/4 C water. Bring to boil and cook until all hardened butterscotch has melted. Add this to the butterscotch milk mixture. Heat milk mixture to scald. Add hot milk to cornstarch, stir and add this back to the hot milk. Cook over medium heat till mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Cook, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes.

3 egg yolks, beaten
Add hot thickened cornstarch mixture to the eggs yolks while whisking continously. Add back to hot cornstarch mix. Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Let cool to almost room temperature.

Make Meringue
4 Egg whites
4Tbsp sugar
pinch salt
1/4 tsp vanilla

Beat room temperature egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time and beat well. Add pinch of salt and vanilla. Spoon over pie filling. Return to 350 degree F oven. Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool and ENJOY


Alternatley you can top this with whipped cream if you dont like meringue