Butterscotch Cream Pie

Dear Cook, my dad’s favorite pie was the southern Indiana butterscotch pie from his youth. So Mom did her best to make butterscotch pies like those he remembered. He liked them sweet. The expression, ‘Sweets for the sweet,’ was fitting for him.

This recipe, with one change from light to dark sugar, was originally taken from my mother’s Betty Crocker Cookbook which has been out of print for decades. My newer, 54-year-old-book, does not include Butterscotch Cream Pie.

After baking a 9-inch pie crust, and before preparing the filling, get everything ready for making the meringue topping. Place ROOM TEMPERATURE egg whites in the electric mixing bowl, beside the bowl set out the measured sugar and cream of tartar. Stop there. Don’t make it ahead, it will get watery. But to help the meringue cook fully, you must get the meringue on the cream filling while it is HOT. So after pouring the filling in the baked crust, speedily whip up the meringue, but don’t rush beating the egg whites.

Best way to slice a meringue pie: I have tried every method that I have heard of, and the following one seems to work the best. Use a long, thin, wide knife. Spray it with cooking spray. Lightly wipe excess from the knife before each cut, or it will leave an ugly, oily edge on the meringue. It is usually necessary to spray before each cutting.

If transporting a cream pie, it is best to cut it after arriving at your destination.  This pie does not travel well, it often cracks.

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