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Butterscotch Cream Pies

Source of Recipe

Mai


List of Ingredients

Chocolate Pastry Dough:
1 bar (1.5 ounces) dark chocolate, broken up
1 2/3 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons water
Butterscotch Filling:
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups whole milk, divided
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cornstarch
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whipped Cream Topping:
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, chilled




Recipe

Make the chocolate pastry dough:
Place chocolate in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium (50% power) 1 minute. Stir. Microwave 1 minute more or until chocolate softens. Stir until smooth. Let cool.

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder into large mixing bowl. Cut in butter until coarse meal forms, using two knives or pastry blender. Stir in sugar. Combine egg yolk and water in small bowl and whisk until blended. Stir into chocolate; mix well. Add all at once to flour mixture. Mix with fork until mixture is uniformly moistened and dough holds together, adding additional water if needed.

Gather dough together and turn out onto lightly floured work surface. Form into 7-inch cylinder. Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out, about 1 hour.

Lightly dust work surface and rolling pin with flour. Cut dough crosswise into 6 equal pieces. Flatten 1 piece of dough into disk, then roll into round approximately 7 inches in diameter, lifting and rotating dough after each stroke of rolling pin. Dust work surface and dough with additional flour as necessary. Fold round of dough in half and center in bottom of pie pan, then unfold. Gently press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan without stretching. Using sharp paring knife, cut excess dough flush with rim of pie pan. Reserve scraps. Repeat with remaining dough to make total of 6 pie shells. Refrigerate shells at least 2 hours before baking.

Gather reserved scraps together and shape into disk. Roll out into sheet about 1/8-inch-thick. Using 2-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out as many rounds as possible from sheet of dough. Place rounds on parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to bake pie shells.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line each pie shell with round of aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving 1-inch overhang. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Place pie pans on large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Using foil overhang as handles, carefully remove foil and weights from shell. Return to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Transfer baking sheet with pie shells to wire rack and let cool completely. (Pie shells may be made up to 1 day ahead and stored at room temperature.) Meanwhile, bake small rounds of dough for 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely.

Place cooled rounds in bowl of food processor, fitted with metal chopping blade. Cover and process until coarse crumbs form. Reserve crumbs for garnish.

Make the butterscotch filling:

Combine cream, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt in large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.

Meanwhile, place cornstarch in medium bowl. Slowly pour in remaining milk and whisk until smooth, then whisk in egg yolks. Whisking constantly, gradually add about 1 cup hot milk mixture to egg yolk mixture. Return egg yolk mixture to saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until filling comes to boil. Boil gently, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, then immediately remove pan from heat. Add butter and vanilla and stir until butter is melted and mixture is smooth.

Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of filling and allow to cool slightly. Refrigerate filling until set, at least 2 hours. (Filling can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

Make the whipped cream topping:

Beat cream in chilled bowl until stiff peaks form, using hand-held mixer set at medium speed.

Carefully unmold pie shells from pans. Spoon chilled filling into shells and smooth tops with back of spoon. Using rubber spatula or back of large spoon, spread whipped cream over filling, covering it completely and mounding cream in center. Garnish with chocolate pastry crumbs. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours.