Gram’s Brown Sugar Pie

Gram was that legendary Kentucky cook who turned out magnificent breakfasts, dinners and desserts every day, using only the simplest ingredients on hand in her diminutive kitchen. We kids remember how she always cooked enough for friends and family to stop by at any time and still anticipate a serving of whatever was on the menu at the time.

But we kids had our favorites, and Gram could certainly bake pies and cakes like they were sent from heaven! My cousins and I would always clamor for Gram’s Brown Sugar pie. It has a smooth caramel flavor that just seems to belong in a buttery crust and blanketed beneath that soft, billowy meringue that Gram made so effortlessly. We couldn’t get enough of its rich decadent sweetness — it made you want to give her an extra hug with every bite. Maybe Gram was like a Brown Sugar pie…

Gram’s Brown Sugar Pie

Author: harriettscooking Courses: Scrumptious Pies

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Prep Time 30 mins Cook Time 45 mins Total Time 1 hr 15 mins Difficulty: Medium Servings: 8

Ingredients

Servings

• 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar (7 oz)
• ³⁄₄ stick Butter (3 oz.)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tsp Water
• ³⁄₄ cup White Sugar (6 oz)
• ¹⁄₄ tsp Salt
• 3 tbsp Cornstarch
• 4 Eggs (separated)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cup Evaporated milk (1 can or 12 oz.)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tsp Vanilla Extract
• Unbaked 9" Pie Crust

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F

2. In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and water.
   
3. Heat until brown sugar just bubbles and butter is fully incorporated, stirring frequently,
   
4. Remove from heat.
5. In a small bowl, stir together the white sugar, salt and cornstarch.
6. Add the white sugar mixture to the brown sugar.
7. Stir in evaporated milk and and vanilla.
8. Add beaten egg yolks and stir well to combine.
9. Pour into pastry shell.

10. Bake on bottom rack of oven at 375° F for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes turn oven back to 325° and move pie to a middle rack.

11. Bake approximately 20 minutes, or until only the center shakes like custard. Center temperature should be 175° F to 185° F degrees. Don't let the center get hotter than 185°. Trust me, lol! This is important, as the high sugar content will cause this pie to weep very easily if you allow the temperature to get too high. The filling should look loose in the center, Once you take it out of the oven the residual heat from the outer parts of the pie will radiate into the center and cook it to perfection.

    
12. Remove pie from oven, turn the oven up to 450F degrees, and let rest while you make the meringue. Be careful to spread the meringue evenly across the surface of the pie and over the edges of the crust. Overlapping the crust slightly may seem a bit messy, but this helps the meringue adhere to the crust as well as the filling. If the meringue contracts at all contact with the crust will help it stay in place.

13. Place the pie into the 450° F oven for 6 minutes, until meringue is light golden at the tips. Rotate at 4 minutes for even browning.

    
14. Remove pie from oven and let cool to room temperature. Cover, let cool, and refrigerate. Serve cool. (Although a warm slice is brown sugar heaven, the ingredients need to settle for pretty slices!)