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Caramel Meringue Pie

• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1/3 cup flour
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups milk (2% or whole)
• 4 egg yolks, beaten lightly
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 baked pie crust

Instructions:
Whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, salt, milk, and eggs. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until mixture is hot. Meanwhile sprinkle remaining sugar into heavy skillet and melt over medium heat until sugar dissolves and becomes light golden brown. This is extremely hot, so be very careful. With custard mixture very hot, slowly stir in the melted (or caramelized) sugar stirring custard constantly. As the melted sugar is poured in, the custard with froth up because the melted sugar is rapidly increasing the heat. Cook and stir constantly until mixture boils and thickens.

4 Egg White Meringue:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Whip egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add in 1/2 cup sugar, then vanilla and beat until hard peaks are formed. Scrape down sides of miter to make sure all sugar is in the meringue. Pour hot custard into a baked pie crust and carefully spoon meringue over the top. (Custard will be softer than a typical chocolate or coconut pie, so work carefully). Make sure meringue extends all the way to crust and no filling is visible. Use side of spoon or spatula to create peaks in the meringue. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 25-28 minutes. Cool and refrigerate. Filling will firm up as it cools.
Makes 1 pie.