Recipe(tried): Homemade Butterscotch Pie for Dolly

Dear Dolly,

This comes right out of the Betty Crocker!

HOMEMADE BUTTERSCOTCH PIE

1 (9-inch) pie shell
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1 2/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup unsalted butter
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Make 9-inch pie shell and bake.

Mix brown sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Gradually stir in water and milk. Add butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute.

Remove from heat. Gradually stir at least half of hot mixture into egg yolks. Then blend egg yolk mixture into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil 1 minute more, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat. Blend in vanilla. Pour immediately into baked pie shell. If desired, finish immediately with Pie Meringue.* Otherwise, let cool at room temperature.

Lastly, pie may be chilled thoroughly (about 2 hours) and topped with sweetened whipped cream.

PIE MERINGUE:
This is from the 1991 Betty Crocker Cookbook

Meringue can be used to make high, soft, melt-in-your mouth toppings for pies and tarts. Or it can be used to make a hard, crisp crust to hold your favorite filling. The basic difference between the two is the proportion of sugar to egg whites. The following guidelines will ensure success:

Separate eggs very carefully while cold. Make certain no yolk gets into the whites, since even a little bit of yolk or grease will prevent whites from beating properly.

Gradually beat in sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until mixture stands in stiff peaks when beaters are lifted. (Meringue should feel smooth, not gritty, when rubbed between your fingers.)

Humdity or rain may cause the sugar to absorb moisture from the air, resulting in a meringue with a sticky, spongy texture. Drops of sugar syrup may form on the surface of the meringue (beading).

Spread soft meringue over the hot filling, sealing the meringue right up to the crust all the way around. This prevents shrinking and weeping (the liquid that oozes out of a meringue topping). Swirl or pull meringue up into points for a fluffier look.

Cool baked meringue gradually, away from drafts to prevent shrinking.

MERINGUE

3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in medium bowl until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not underbeat. Beat in vanilla. Tops a 9-inch pie.

Spoon meringue over hot pie filling. Spread over filling, carefully sealing meringue to edge of crust to prevent shrinking or weeping. Bake 8 to 12 minutes at 400 degrees F or until meringue is delicate brown. [My own note: I have found that if I cool the meringue with the oven turned off for the same amount as the bake time it does not deflate as much.] Remove from oven and cool away from draft. Serve. Immediately refrigerate any remaining pie.