Butterscotch Maple Walnut Three Layer Pie

Ingredients

• For the crust:
• 1 1/2 cups finely ground graham crackers
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground walnuts
• 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• For the baked filling:
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For the chilled filling:
• 1 package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup Grade B Maple Syrup
• For the whipped cream:
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
• 1 teaspoon black walnut extract

Directions

1. For the crust, add the graham crackers, walnuts, and brown sugar to a food processor and pulse in quick bursts, 10 to 12 short pulses, until everything is finely crushed. Transfer the crumbs to a large bowl. With a rubber spatula, fold in the melted butter slowly, mixing until the crumbs are evenly damp. Press the mixture across the bottom of the pie dish and up the sides, using plastic gloves if you want to avoid sticky hands. Chill the crust for thirty minutes. Move an oven rack to the middle and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the unfilled crust until it turns golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. For the baked filling, set a small saucepan over medium heat and stir together the brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, and half-and-half. Cook, stirring, until the mixture starts to thicken, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the egg yolk and continue cooking until the filling is thick enough to leave a coating on the back of a spoon. Take the pan off the heat, then stir in the butter and vanilla until fully blended.
3. Pour the baked filling into the pie shell. Return the pie to the 350 degrees F oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Allow it to cool for one hour.
4. For the chilled filling, beat the softened cream cheese, condensed milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer until the mixture is smooth and combined. Spoon it over the cooled baked layer, then even out the surface. Cover the pie and refrigerate for at least an hour.
5. For the whipped cream, beat the heavy cream with an electric hand mixer until it becomes very thick. Add the powdered sugar gradually, one tablespoon at a time, along with the walnut extract, and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread a generous layer over the chilled pie, then refrigerate until serving time.