Ingredients:
4 T. cornstarch
1 ½ c. water, divided
2 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 ½ c. sugar
½ c. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 baked 9-inch pie shell
1 T. sugar
In a bowl, dissolve the cornstarch with ¾ c. water. Beat the egg yolks and stir them into the cornstarch mixture. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix ¾ c. sugar, ¾ c. water, and ½ c. melted butter. Set aside.
In a heavy saucepan with high sides, cook ¾ c. sugar over low to medium heat until it is completely melted and a golden brown color. Watch carefully, as it can burn easily. Increase the heat slightly if the sugar takes a long time to melt. Don’t stir the sugar until the majority has melted on its own. Stirring too early will cool the sugar, causing it to harden again, and make it take longer to melt.
Once the sugar is completely melted, add the mixture containing the remaining ¾ c. sugar, ½ c. melted butter, and the remaining ¾ c. water. This may create a cloud of steam, so stand back while adding!
Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.
(Once the second batch of sugar is added with the water, the first batch of melted sugar often hardens with the sudden temperature change. As everything heats back up, the hardened caramel will melt again. Stir this mixture—breaking up the hardened caramel into smaller pieces to speed up the melting process—until everything has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. You may have to remove small pieces of hardened caramel that do not completely melt.)
Once the caramel mixture is smooth, pour the cornstarch/egg mixture into the saucepan and bring the mixture to a low boil, stirring it constantly. Continue to boil slowly until the mixture thickens; about 2 minutes.
Take the mixture off the heat, stir it until smooth, and let it cool. Stir in the vanilla and pour the filling into the baked pie shell.
To make a meringue topping for the pie, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1 T sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spoon the meringue on top of the pie filling, spreading it right up to the edge of the filling. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until the top of the meringue is delicately browned. Chill the pie before serving.
Can be topped with whipped cream instead, if desired.
Source: The Anne of Green Gables Treasury, ISBN 0-14-017231-9, published 1991.
Notes: I prefer to top the with whipped cream, personally. My meringue topping always shrinks and pulls away from the crust. I use the reserved egg whites to make meringue cookies for my boys instead!
Below are pictures of the recipe without my changes as originally printed.
