Butterscotch Pudding Pie

Ingredients

• One half recipe Easy Pie Dough, shaped and chilled in a pie plate
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 3 tablespoons scotch whiskey
• 2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 cups 2% milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

1. Move the oven rack to the lower middle spot and heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Once it is hot, cover the chilled pie shell with foil or parchment, add pie weights, and bake it on the lowest rack for 15 minutes. Lift out the liner and weights, rotate the pie, and return it to the oven until the underside of the crust is lightly golden, about 10 minutes longer. Take the crust out and let it cool all the way.
2. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar once the butter has melted, whisking until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to bubble, about 3 minutes. Pour in the scotch to deglaze the pan. Whisk in 1 cup heavy cream, continuing until any firm bits have melted back into the sauce. Put this mixture aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg and egg yolks until the color turns pale yellow. Add the cornstarch and whisk until everything looks smooth and shiny, then set the bowl aside. In a large saucepan over low heat, stir together the milk and salt and warm it to a simmer. Take it off the heat, then slowly temper the egg mixture with the hot milk, adding the milk in small splashes and whisking well after each addition. Return the mixture to the saucepan and place it back over low heat, stirring the whole time. As soon as it starts to thicken, whisk in the butterscotch mixture. Keep whisking and look for bubbling, which should happen after about 3 minutes. Once bubbles appear, continue whisking for 2 more minutes, then take the pan off the heat. Spoon the pudding into the cooled pie shell and lay plastic wrap directly against the surface. Chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
4. Just before serving, whip the remaining cup cream until it holds soft peaks, adding sugar if you’d like. Spread the cold whipped cream over the pie, scatter the nuts on top, and serve right away.