Butterscotch Apple Pie

Ingredients

• 1homemade pie crust, shaped into a disc and chilled
• 1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp wateregg wash
• 28 gunsalted butter
• 400 gpeeled and diced apples, such as Honeycrisp, Jonagold or Gala (about 3 medium apples)
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 100 gdark brown sugar
• 1 3/4 tsp apple pie spice or 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp nutmegapple pie spice, or cinnamon and nutmeg
• 1/2 tspfine sea salt
• 3 Tbspgranulated sugar
• 2 Tbspall-purpose flour
• 340 gwhole milk
• 120 gheavy cream
• 105 gdark brown sugar
• 1/2 tspfine sea salt
• 28 gcornstarch
• 2 largeegg yolks
• 15 gunsalted butter
• 2 tspvanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 240 g, coldheavy cream
• 50 g, optional; reduce for a less sweet toppinggranulated sugar
• 1 tspvanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Instructions

1. 1

   Rest the pastry

   Make the pie crust the night before, or at least 2 hours ahead, so it has time to rest.

2. 2

   Line the tin

   Unwrap the rested dough and roll it on a lightly floured surface to 6 mm thick, turning it 45 degrees often to keep it even. Make the circle slightly larger than a 23 cm pie tin, transfer it to the tin and settle it into place.

3. 3

   Chill the crust

   Trim the pastry, leaving about 2.5 cm overhang, then tuck the edge under itself to make a folded rim. Chill for 15–20 minutes, crimp as desired and prick the base all over with a fork. Chill for another 30 minutes, or freeze for 20 minutes or until solid.

4. 4

   Prepare for baking

   While the crust chills, heat the oven to 220°C. Cut parchment slightly larger than the pie tin, use it to line the crust and fill it with pie weights or dried beans, right up to the crimps.

5. 5

   Blind-bake pastry

   Set the pie tin on a baking tray and bake for 18–20 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Remove the parchment and weights, brush the inside of the crust with egg wash, then bake for another 2–3 minutes, until set and barely golden.

6. 6

   Cook the apples

   Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the apples, tossing to coat. Stir in the vanilla, brown sugar, apple pie spice (or cinnamon and nutmeg) and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the apples begin to soften.

7. 7

   Thicken the filling

   Whisk the granulated sugar and flour together in a small bowl, then stir them into the apples. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes, until thickened.

8. 8

   Cool the filling

   Take the pan off the heat and let the apple filling cool completely. To speed this up, spread it in an even layer on a baking tray.

9. 9

   Bake the apples

   Heat the oven to 200°C with a rack in the lower third, preferably with a baking steel or stone on it. Put the par-baked crust, still in its tin, on a parchment-lined baking tray. Add the cooled filling and spread it evenly, then bake for 35–40 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling bubbles.

10. 10

    Cool the pie

    Remove the pie from the oven and leave it to cool completely.

11. 11

    Warm the dairy

    Bring the milk and cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

12. 12

    Mix the pudding base

    Meanwhile, whisk the brown sugar, salt and cornstarch together in a medium heatproof bowl.

13. 13

    Add the yolks

    When the milk mixture simmers, whisk the egg yolks into the sugar mixture until combined.

14. 14

    Cook the pudding

    While whisking constantly, pour about a quarter of the hot milk mixture into the yolks to temper them. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, for 3–4 minutes, until very thick and large bubbles break the surface.

15. 15

    Finish the pudding

    Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.

16. 16

    Chill the layers

    Strain the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve onto the cooled apple filling and spread it evenly. Press plastic wrap directly onto the pudding surface and refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

17. 17

    Whip the cream

    Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cold cream on medium-low for 1–2 minutes, until it begins to thicken.

18. 18

    Sweeten the cream

    Increase the speed to medium and add the sugar in a slow, steady stream. Continue whipping to medium peaks, then add the vanilla, if using, and mix to combine.

19. 19

    Top and serve

    Spoon, pipe or spread the whipped cream over the pie. Garnish with cinnamon and keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

What is butterscotch apple pie?

This is an American-style layered pie: baked pastry holds spiced apples, a butterscotch pudding layer and whipped cream. The recipe is credited to Erin Jeanne McDowell’s book The Book on Pie.

Cooking the apples before baking helps them soften and take on the brown sugar and spice, while the pudding gives the finished pie a smooth, creamy layer. The separate components make it especially useful as a make-ahead dessert.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 590 calories, 7g protein, 75g carbs, 30g fat.

The pastry, sugar and apples provide most of the carbohydrates, while the butter, cream and egg yolks contribute much of the fat. Milk, cream and egg yolks also supply some protein. Balance a slice with fresh fruit, or serve a smaller slice after a meal with a protein-rich main course.

Build a crisp crust

Chilled pastry: Resting the dough gives it time to firm up before rolling and shaping. Keep the surface lightly floured and turn the dough as you roll so it stays even.

Blind baking: Baking the crust with weights first helps it hold its shape before the wet fillings go in. The egg wash is brushed inside near the end of this first bake, then the crust goes back in briefly to set.

Cook the apple layer

Apple choice: Honeycrisp, Jonagold or Gala are suggested, but the key is to peel and dice the apples evenly so they cook at a similar rate. The butter, brown sugar and spice coat the fruit as it begins to soften.

Thickening: Stir the flour and granulated sugar into the apples continuously for 2–3 minutes. Cool the filling fully before adding it to the crust, as directed, so the layers can be assembled in sequence.

Get the pudding smooth

Temper the yolks: Whisking a quarter of the hot milk mixture into the yolks gradually warms them before they go into the saucepan. Keep whisking as you pour to help the mixture combine smoothly.

Watch the bubbles: Stir constantly over medium-low heat until the pudding is very thick and large bubbles break the surface. Straining it over the apples catches any lumps before it sets.

Allow time to chill

The pie needs several cooling stages: the apple filling cools before baking, the baked pie cools completely, and the pudding layer needs at least 1 hour in the fridge. The pudding can be chilled for up to 24 hours before adding the whipped cream.

The pastry also needs resting and chilling time before it is baked. Although the stated total time is 120 minutes, plan for additional chilling and cooling time as required by the method.

Finish with whipped cream

Cold cream: Start whipping the cream on medium-low until it thickens, then add the sugar slowly as the speed increases. Stop at medium peaks so it holds its shape while remaining soft enough to spread or pipe.

Serving: The method suggests cinnamon as a garnish. Serve the pie chilled, when the pudding layer is set and the slices are easier to lift.

What to serve alongside

The pie has pastry, spiced fruit, pudding and cream in one slice, so it can be served on its own as dessert. For a larger dessert spread, offer coffee or tea alongside it rather than adding another rich topping.

Recipe notes & tips

• Dice the apples evenly so they soften at roughly the same pace.
• Keep turning the dough as you roll to help maintain an even thickness.
• Fill the pastry shell with weights right up to the crimped edge for the blind bake.
• Let the apple filling cool completely before adding it to the pastry.
• Whisk constantly while tempering the yolks and cooking the pudding.
• Press the plastic wrap directly onto the pudding to cover its surface while chilling.

Variations

• Change the spice: Use the listed cinnamon and nutmeg in place of apple pie spice.
• Reduce topping sweetness: Use less than 50 g sugar in the whipped cream, or leave it out.
• Choose another apple: Use a similar amount of peeled, diced apples in place of the suggested varieties.
• Use vanilla paste: Choose vanilla bean paste instead of extract where the recipe offers the option.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Warm pastry: It is harder to handle; chill it for the full stated intervals before baking.
• Underfilled weights: The pastry may lose its shape; spread weights right to the crimped edge.
• Hot apple filling: It can disrupt the layers; cool the filling completely before adding it to the crust.
• Skipping the temper: The yolks may not blend smoothly; whisk in about a quarter of the hot milk first.
• Stopping the pudding early: It needs to be very thick with large surface bubbles before you take it off the heat.
• Overwhipping the cream: It can become too stiff; stop when medium peaks form.

How to store

Store leftover pie in an airtight container in the fridge. The pudding can be chilled for up to 24 hours before topping; for leftovers, keep the cream-topped pie refrigerated and eat within 3 days for best quality. Serve chilled; reheating is not recommended for this layered pie.

Frequently asked questions