Old-Fashioned Caramel Pie

Rich and dense, this pie is a caramel lover’s dream. Featured in the new Southern Pantry Cookbook by Jennifer Chandler, this recipe is from the kitchen of her friend Cindy Ettingoff’s grandmother. Chandler believes made-from-scratch caramel pies are far superior to shortcut ones made with condensed milk caramel and promises this one is worth the effort.

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 cups of 2 percent or whole milk
3 large egg yolks
4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Pinch of kosher salt
1 (9-inch) baked pie crust, homemade or store-bought
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1/4 cup granulated or confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place 3/4 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook the sugar over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized. It should take around 10 minutes. Keep warm over very low heat.

Meanwhile, whisk together milk and eggs in a medium saucepan for the custard. Add the flour and remaining 3/4 cup of sugar. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Continue whisking over medium heat until the mixture thickens. This should also take around 10 minutes. It is best to caramelize the sugar and make the custard at the same time so neither cooks for too long.

Add caramelized sugar to the custard, whisking continuously. If the caramel hardens, just continue whisking over medium heat until it has melted and the mixture is smooth and thick. This should take 5-8 minutes. Then stir in the butter and salt.

Pour custard into the baked pie crust and refrigerate until chilled and set, which should take a least 1 hour.

To serve, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream over each slice. Serves 8.

Recipe and photo from The Southern Pantry Cookbook, courtesy of Nelson Books.