Rediscovering butterscotch and other pie recipes

Back-to-school has affected our household. We are back into the homework routine with both of our children. It is amazing how much we have already learned in Spanish and pre-algebra, and we are only four weeks into school.

Last week I gave all of you readers a homework assignment. A reader was looking for a recipe for old fashioned butterscotch pie, and several responses came in, so I hope these will work for the person who made the request.

Butterscotch Pie

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup water

2 egg yolks

1 cup brown sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 cups milk

Brown butter in pan. Add sugar and cook together, stirring constantly, until sugar is melted. Add water; stir slowly and cook until sugar is again dissolved. Combine cornstarch, egg yolks and milk, and add to sugar mixture. Cook until thickened. Pour in baked pie shell and top with cream.

Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Pie

3/4 cup brown sugar

5 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 baked pie shell

Whipped cream or meringue

Combine sugar, flour and salt; stir in milk slowly. Cook over boiling water (double boiler saucepans). Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Cover and cook 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Add mixture to egg yolks, stirring vigorously 1 minute longer. Add butter and vanilla and cool. Pour filling in pre-baked pie shell and cover with whipped topping or meringue.

Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Pie No. 2

3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

5 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups whole milk

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 baked pie shell, 9-inch

Combine the sugar, flour and salt in the top of a double boiler over boiling water; stir in milk slowly. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cover and cook 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.

Lightly beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl. Add about 1/4 to 1/3 of the hot mixture to the egg yolks, stirring quickly; add the egg yolk mixture back to the pan. Cook for about one more minute. Add butter and vanilla; cool. Place filling in pastry shell and garnish with whipped cream or cover with meringue made from the egg whites. If you cover with meringue, bake at 325 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until meringue is nicely browned.

Caramel Pie

1 baked 9-inch pie shell

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups water

3 eggs, separated

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, melt the butter and add the sugar. Cook over medium heat until the sugar is medium brown. Add dissolved cornstarch, salt and 1 1/2 cups water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Beat egg yolks with a whisk. Take 1 cup of the thickened sauce and add to the beaten egg yolks. When blended, add egg mixture to the remaining sauce and cook one minute until thickened. Add vanilla. Cool. To keep caramel from becoming hard on top, cover with waxed paper until cool. Pour into baked pie shell. Pile meringue on top and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven about 7 minutes until golden tips appear on the meringue.

Meringue

3 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3 tablespoons sugar

Combine egg whites and cream of tartar and beat until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until very stiff. Pile lightly on caramel filling.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.

Brown Sugar Pie

3 eggs

3 cups brown sugar (1 box)

1/2 cup margarine

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 unbaked pie shell

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Combine and spread in pie shell. Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees until pastry is brown. Lower oven to 350 degrees; bake until filling is firm. Avoid overbaking.

Chocolate-Cherry Fantasy Desserts

An easy frozen biscuit becomes the warm, tender topping for a fabulous fruit dessert.

2 cups frozen cherries (from 16-ounce bag)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 frozen buttermilk biscuits

1 teaspoon milk

1 teaspoon sugar

Vanilla ice cream, if desired

1 tablespoon slivered almonds, if desired

2 tablespoons fudge topping, heated

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place 2 (1 1/2-cup) ungreased ovenproof bowls or ramekins on cookie sheet. Spoon 1 cup frozen cherries into each bowl. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cornstarch to each bowl; toss to coat cherries.

Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Stir cherries well; place 1 frozen biscuit on top of each bowl of cherries. Brush biscuits with milk; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar. Return to oven; bake 18 to 22 minutes longer, adding almonds to cookie sheet during last 3 minutes of baking time. Bake until tops of biscuits and almonds are golden brown. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving. To serve, top with ice cream, fudge topping and toasted almonds. Makes 2 servings.

Blueberry Twisties

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (105 degree to 115 degree)

3/4 cup dairy sour cream

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 beaten egg

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel

1/2 cup blueberry spreadable fruit

1 recipe powdered sugar glaze (see recipe below)

Stir the yeast into warm water to soften. Stir in sour cream, cooking oil, egg, granulated sugar, salt, and baking soda. Beat until well combined. With a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the flour as you can. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that's smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface of the dough. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled (1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours). Line a large baking sheet with foil. Lightly grease foil. Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll dough into a 16-by-12-inch rectangle. Stir lemon peel into the spreadable blueberry fruit. Spread filling over 1/2 of the length of the rectangle. Fold dough over to make a 16-by-6-inch rectangle. Cut the bread dough crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips. Twist one strip 2 or 3 times and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat for remaining strips of dough, leaving 1-1/2 inches between strips on baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven; transfer twisties to a wire rack. Drizzle powdered sugar glaze over warm twisties. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 16.

Powdered Sugar Glaze:

In a mixing bowl, stir together 1-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make a drizzling consistency.

I think these blueberry twisties sound wonderful, and I will try them with red raspberry as well.

Have a wonderful week and until next time, happy cooking.

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