Toriel's Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie

 From the Undertale video game...

 

I had other plans for February’s post, my child, but you’ve absolutely flooded my request box asking for this recipe! I couldn’t ignore your pleas any longer… And let’s be real, Butterscotch + Cinnamon + Pie sounds ridiculously good, so that may have played a role too.

 

This recipe comes from the retro-style indie game Undertale. In Undertale, you play as a small child who finds themselves in a mysterious (and occasionally hostile) underground world where nothing is quite as it seems. Thankfully, early in the game, you meet Toriel, a kind soul who takes you in and seems to have your best interests at heart. After spending some time solving puzzles and complimenting frogs, you arrive at her cozy home, where she’s prepared a warm, comforting butterscotch-cinnamon pie just for you.

 

Undertale is full of surprises and cleverly flips a lot of classic video game tropes on their head. If you haven’t played it yet, it’s available on Steam for a very reasonable price. As for this pie, it was a blast to recreate. It’s ridiculously easy to make (especially if you use a premade pie crust) and the result is absolutely delicious. Enjoy it after a nice spaghetti dinner!

Ingredients

 

For the crust: (Omit if using a premade crust)

• 1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
• 1/4 cup Ice Water
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

 

For the filling:

• 1 1/4 cups Whole Milk
  
• 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
  
• 2/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
• 3 Egg Yolks, lightly beaten
  
• 1/3 cup Cornstarch
  
• 1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

 

For the topping:

• 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
• Ground Cinnamon (for sprinkling)

 

 

Directions

 

To prepare the crust: 

Note: If using premade crust, just follow steps 6 through 9, or follow the blind baking directions on the package. If using a premade graham cracker crust, or other cookie crust, you can just skip this crust section entirely.

 

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). 
2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. 
3. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Stir in the ice water a little at a time until the dough forms a ball that easily holds together. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
5. Roll out the dough to fit a 9-inch pie tin and press evenly into the bottom and sides. Trim excess. 
6. Fill the pie with pie weights or dry beans to prevent warping.
7. Bake the crust at 375°F for 20–25 minutes with the pie weights. 
8. Remove the weights and bake for another 5–10 minutes until golden brown.
9. Remove from oven, take out pie weights, and set aside.
   

To make the filling: 

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together milk, cream, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency, about 6–8 minutes. Note: it's important that the mixture gets hot enough to activate the cornstarch (about 200°F) but make sure to stir continuously so the mixture does not burn on the bottom.
2. Slowly temper the egg yolks by adding a few spoonfuls of the hot mixture to the yolks, whisking constantly. 
3. Gradually add yolks back into the saucepan and continue whisking over heat until very thick, about 2–3 minutes. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon and hold its shape when swiped with a finger.
4. Remove from heat, then stir in butter and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.

 

Assembly and setting:

1. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and smooth out the top.
2. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
3. Before serving, whip together heavy cream and sugar with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled pie and sprinkle with ground cinnamon. 
4. When slicing, it helps to use a sharp knife dipped in warm water, and wipe between cuts.
   

This recipe has been reformatted and the directions have been edited for clarity and efficiency. Some ingredients have been adjusted slightly, due to some folks having trouble getting the pie to set (likely the cornstarch was not getting hot enough to activate). The recipe should be a bit more forgiving now.