Mennonite Butterscotch Pie

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Salt, pinch

For the Meringue Pie Topping:

• 2 egg whites (leftover from pudding filling ingredients)
• Pinch salt
• ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla

For the Whipped Cream:

• 1 carton whipping cream
• Sugar to taste

For the Pie crust (from Mennonite Community Cookbook):

• 2 ¼ cup flour
• ⅔ cup shortening (my edit: or mixture of butter and shortening)
• ½ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup water

Instructions

1. 1
   Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a frying pan, add 1 cup brown sugar, cook until bubbly and thick, remove from the heat and let cool slightly. (Don't let it burn!)
2. 2
   Have ready a mixture of 2 Tablespoons flour (or cornstarch), 2 egg yolks, 2 cups milk, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt (beat with egg beater (hand blender) to blend well).
3. 3
   Pour into butter-sugar mixture and mix well (use whisk or wooden spoon to avoid lumps). This works best if the butter-sugar mixture isn't too hot. Cook until thick, stir constantly.
4. 4
   Pour into a BAKED pie shell and top with meringue (made with the two egg whites) if you like. You can also just pour it into custard cups and eat like that.
5. 5
   For the Meringue Pie Topping: Beat egg whites with salt until frothy. Add cream of tartar and increase mixer speed to medium, beat until whites are fluffy, with large bubbles forming along edges. With the mixer running, add sugar by spoonfuls until sugar is completely incorporated. Continue to beat until you have glossy peaks. Add vanilla.
6. 6
   For the Whipped Cream: Beat cream until soft peaks and then gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peaks.
7. 7
   For the Pie Crust: Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
8. 8
   Cut shortening into flour either with a pastry blender or knives. Mixture is sufficiently blended when particles are the size of peas.
9. 9
   Gradually add water a tablespoon at a time.
10. 10
    Toss lightly with a fork until particles are dampened.
11. 11
    Use only enough water until the mixture holds together in a dough. Should not have a wet feel.
12. 12
    Roll into a round ball, handling as little as possible.
13. 13
    My edit: At this point you can chill one half and freeze the other half.
14. 14
    Roll out onto a floured surface into a circle 1/8 in thick and one inch larger in diameter than the top of the pie.
15. 15
    Instructions for Blind baking crust: (from King Arthur Flour website) Roll bottom crust and place in the pan, crimp or flatten the edge. Chill for 30 minutes.
16. 16
    Line the crust with parchment paper and fill 2/3 full with beans or grains.
17. 17
    Bake the crust in a 375-degree oven for 20 minutes.
18. 18
    Remove crust from oven and remove liner and weights. Let cool.
19. 19
    To finish the pie: Pour filling into blind baked and cooled crust.
20. 20
    Either top with meringue and broil/ torch OR top with sweetened whipped cream.