Ingredients

For the filling:
2 1/4 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Scotch whisky
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup whipped cream, for garnish

Piecrust, baked blind, recipe follows
For the meringue top:
2 egg whites*
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine the milk and
cream, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set
aside.
In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the brown sugar,
raise the heat to medium-high, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, to caramelize
the mixture. (You will smell a characteristic nutty-caramel odor when the butter browns,
signaling that the mixture is ready.)
Whisking constantly, gradually add the butter/brown sugar mixture to the hot milk/cream
mixture. If the mixture is not smooth, blend for 20 seconds with a hand blender or pour
through a fine sieve.
Put the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk in about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture. Whisk
in the cornstarch and salt until dissolved. Whisk the cornstarch mixture back into the hot

milk mixture in the saucepan. Add the scotch and whisk in.
Whisking constantly, cook over medium-high heat until thick and just boiling. When the
mixture thickens, the whisk will leave trail marks on the bottom of the pot and the
mixture will have a few large bubbles boiling up to the top.
Turn off the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour into the pre-baked pie shell and
chill, uncovered, at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
For the meringue top: Whip whites with the salt to soft peaks, then add sugar and whip
until sugar is dissolved and whites are glossy. Spread meringue on top of the slightly
cooled pie and bake for 5 minutes until lightly browned (cappuccino colored). Chill until
ready to serve.

Ingredients

Piecrust:
4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
12 ounces (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup ice water (strain out the ice just before using)

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Directions

In a mixer fitted with a paddle
attachment (or using a hand mixer), mix the flour, salt, and sugar for 1 minute. Add the
butter and mix just until you have a crumbly, sandy mixture. You should still be able to
see the pieces of butter.
In a small bowl, stir the water and vinegar together. With the mixer running at medium
speed, drizzle in the water-vinegar mixture and mix just until a dough forms. You should
still see small bits of butter.
Turn out onto a work surface, divide the dough in half, and shape into round, flat disks.
Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using. (Or,
refrigerate up to 48 hours or freeze up to 1 month before using. If frozen, let thaw in
the refrigerator overnight before rolling out.)
When the time comes to roll out the dough, let the dough warm up for a few minutes at room
temperature. Dust a work surface with just a few tablespoons of flour and keep some extra
flour at hand. If you like, you can roll out the dough between two sheets of waxed paper
(flouring the bottom sheet and the top of the dough before rolling), which makes it much
easier to transfer to the pan later on. However, you won't be able to check the progress

of the dough as easily. It's entirely up to you.
Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough and start rolling outward from the center with
quick, light strokes. Don't worry if the edges split a bit; concentrate on getting a good
circle going from the center. Lift up and rotate the dough 1/4 turn every minute or so to
help ensure even rolling. The dough should feel smooth and soft; some say it should feel
like the inside of your forearm. If it gets sticky, sprinkle on a bit more flour, but
don't do this more than two or three times; the dough will absorb too much flour. Instead,
put it back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm the butter up. Keep rolling until
the circle is at least 2 inches larger than your pan (for example, 11-inches wide for a
9-inch pie pan), or 3 inches larger for deep-dish pies.
Set your pie or tart pan nearby. We always use heavy aluminum pans, because glass pans
seem to bake the crust too fast. However, we know that the advantage of glass is that you
can easily check the color of the crust. Again, it's up to you. Either choice will work.
To transfer the crust to the pan, we find it easiest to roll a finished crust up onto the
rolling pin, then gently unroll it in the pan. Or, you can fold it gently in quarters,
lift it up, position the center point on the center of the pan, and unfold it into the

pan. If using waxed paper, peel off the top layer, turn the crust gently into the pan, and
peel off the remaining paper. Make sure that the dough is allowed to settle completely
into the pan.
Don't stretch and press the dough into the corners; stretched dough will likely shrink
back when you bake it. Instead, lift the edges of the crust to let it settle down into the
corners. If the dough tears a bit, don't be concerned; it will patch easily. Using
scissors or a sharp knife, trim the dough to within 3/4-inch of the rim. Use any extra
scraps to patch the crust, pressing with your fingers (wet them if necessary) or set
aside.
For a single-crust pie: Working around the rim, turn the crust under itself (not under the
rim of the pan) to make a thick edge, pressing it firmly against the pan to reduce
shrinkage. To decorate the rim, just press it all around with the back of a fork. For a
slightly more advanced look, press the thumb and forefinger of one hand together. Use them
to gently push the thick dough rim outward, while pushing inward with the forefinger of
the other hand, so that they intersect in a "V" with the dough in between. Repeat all
around the rim to make a wavy edge.

Directions

Chill the finished crust

or crusts for 20 to 30 minutes before filling the pie. When the bottom crust is filled,
rest the top crust on top and pinch the edges together, turning them under all the way
around. To decorate the rim, just press it all around with the back of a fork. For a
slightly more advanced look, press the thumb and forefinger of one hand together. Use them
to gently push the thick dough rim outward, while pushing inward with the forefinger of
the other hand, so that they intersect in a "V" with the dough in between. Repeat all
around the rim to make a wavy edge.
For a prebaked pie or tart crust (blind baking): Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line
the inside of the chilled crust with aluminum foil (don't turn it down over the rim, but
leave the extra sticking up so that you have something to hold on to). Fill the foil all
the way up to the top of the shell with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes,
until dry and beginning to turn "blond". Lift the foil and weights out of the shell and
bake another 10 to 15 minutes, checking frequently to prevent overbaking, until medium
brown.
Yield: 2 crusts Preparation time: 15 minutes plus rolling and shaping Cooking time: 30
minutes Ease of preparation: moderate

Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, "Butter Sugar Flour Eggs" by Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto, Julia
Moskin: Clarkson N. Potter Publishers, 1999