Butter Scotch Pie (Leslie Fox.)

History

"Butter Scotch Pie" is one of the recipes Martha McCulloch-Williams credits to a named contributor — the 1913 book heads it "(Leslie Fox.)" Two egg yolks are beaten light with a scant cup of dark brown sugar, a tablespoonful of creamed butter and two tablespoonfuls of flour, mixed smooth, then a cup of rich milk is added gradually and the whole cooked thick in a double boiler. Cooled and flavoured with vanilla, it is poured into rich crusts already well baked, covered with a meringue made from the whites, and set in the oven to harden.

The historical record does not document a specific earlier origin for this particular pie.

The book credits many of its recipes to named women — Leslie Fox appears twice, alongside Betsy Vaughn, Aunt Polly Rives and Dorothy Dix. That makes a contrast worth noting: the Black cook who taught the author her kitchen is credited with five recipes and is never named, appearing only by a household role-title.

McCulloch-Williams was a white writer born near Clarksville, Tennessee, who grew up on a plantation before the Civil War; the book's dedication is "to our Mammys," and its affection for that world goes unexamined in it.

Ingredients

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoonful butter
• 2 tablespoonfuls flour
• 1 cup milk
• vanilla
• pie crust
• 2 egg whites

Instructions

1. Beat the egg yolks until light. Gradually mix in the dark brown sugar, creamed butter, and flour, beating until smooth. Slowly add the rich milk, stirring constantly. Transfer the mixture to a double boiler and cook until thick, stirring as needed. Remove from heat and let cool. Flavor with vanilla. Pour the filling into previously well-baked rich pie crusts. Prepare a meringue from the egg whites. Cover the pie with meringue, place in the oven to harden, and serve hot or cold.