Butterscotch

Pop loved all things butterscotch. He would splash, actually paste, some butterscotch sauce on anything that he thought called for a flavor boost... sometimes even if I thought the flavor could not be improved.

I've been experimenting with butterscotch for the past several weeks to find out why he thought this brown sugar treat was so delectable. Searched the web for some recipes...there are plenty. Baked one and didn't like it.

Looking through an old 'The Joy of Cooking', circa 1943, I found a butterscotch pie recipe. The recipes I've seen for this dessert appear similar but this one added another egg yolk to make it a richer filling. The results were a much improved butterscotch over my previous attempts. Also I found some of the techniques unnecessary, e.g., scalding the milk.

Make a single crust pie: combine 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar in a food processor. Pulse to mix. Add 4 tablespoons of chilled butter in pieces and pulse 4 times. Add 2 tablespoons chilled lard in pieces and pulse 3 times. Next add 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water until dough comes together. Add an additional tablespoon ice water if necessary.

When dough comes together place on a floured work surface and roll into a circle 1" in diameter larger than a 9" pie plate. Place into pie plate, line with parchment paper and add pie weights. I use a mess of navy beans. Bake in a 400°F oven for 30 minutes. Remove and brush with an egg wash. Bake for an additional 7 minutes. Cool.

Place butterscotch filling into pie plate, top with meringue and bake in a 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes. Let pie cool for 1 hour and chill for 3 to 6 hours to solidify filling.

Enjoy one of those butterscotch moments that Pop found so delicious.