Prepare for the last step of making the pudding by adding the butter, vanilla extract, and bourbon to a large mixing bowl and placing a large strainer over the top. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, add the brown sugar and the water.
Cook the sugar over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Continue cooking (without stirring) for another 3-5 minutes. The sugar will get a bit darker and smell caramelized. Swirl the pan to distribute the heat if necessary, and watch the pan carefully so the sugar doesn't burn, adjusting the heat if necessary.
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the heavy cream, stirring as you go. The mixture will sputter and seize up, this is okay.
In a small mixing bowl, add the corn starch, salt, and egg yolks. Whisk well until smooth.
Add a splash of the milk to the bowl and whisk until completely smooth. Slowly add the rest of the milk whisking as you go to keep the mixture smooth.
Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan, whisking everything together. the sugar will still be hardened on the bottom of the pan, but this is fine.
Return the saucepan to the stove on low-medium heat and slowly heat up the mixture, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar.
When the mixture starts to bubble (this will take somewhere around 8-12 minutes), cook for just 1 minute or so more until the mixture is very thick and pudding-like. It helps to have both a whisk and a silicone spoonula to make sure you are scraping the bottom of the pan and keeping everything as smooth as possible.
Remove from the heat and immediately pour the pudding over the strainer into your prepared bowl with the butter.
Push the pudding through the strainer to remove any solid bits of egg, and then whisk in the butter and vanilla extract well until everything is smooth and well incorporated.
Pour the warm pudding into your baked pie shell and smooth it out a little.
Chill for at least 4-6 hours, or overnight.
to make the topping
Using a whisk and a large mixing bowl (or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), whip the cream, salt, and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Spoon it over the chilled pie and use the back of a spoon to gently spread it out and make little "swoops."
You can serve immediately or return the pie to the fridge until ready to serve. Best served within 1 day.
Notes
*To blind bake a fresh pie crust:
Chill the dough in the pie pan.
Line with parchment and fill with pie weights.
Bake at 375°F for 15–20 minutes.
Remove weights, prick bottom, and bake 5–10 more minutes until golden.
To blind bake a frozen crust:
No need to thaw.
Line with parchment and weights.
Bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes total, removing weights halfway through.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Hey there ~ I'm Sue. I love to make delicious food, photograph it, and write about it, but mostly, I just love to EAT. Isn't that what it's all about? My recipes are creative, vibrant, and totally approachable no matter what your skill level. Let's grab a bite together!
My grandmother used to make a pie just like this, thank you so much for the recipe!
Can I use a crumb crust for this pie? And if so, what kind of crumb would be best? Thanks.
Personally I would just do a graham cracker crust, but there are so many crackers and cookies that would also work like Biscoff, Nilla Wafers, etc.