Oatmeal Walnut Butterscotch Pie

The Steps

Oatmeal Walnut Cookie Crust:

1. Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Allow it to melt and come to a gentle boil. Continue to cook it, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan, as it grows darker in color. After about 6-8 minutes, it should be golden brown and fragrant, with brown bits on the bottom. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter into a large mixing bowl. Let it cool to room temperature.
2. While you wait for the butter to cool, whisk together the flour, oats, corn starch, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Once the butter is cool, add the sugars to the mixing bowl and mix everything together on medium speed until fluffy and well-mixed. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix again. Finally, stop the mixer and add the dry ingredients. Mix together on low just until the dry ingredients are nearly incorporated and just a few streaks of flour remain. Add the toasted walnuts, then finish mixing everything with a spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl.
4. Spray a deep-dish 10-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray. Press the cookie dough into the pan in a thick, even layer. It should be about 1/2-inch thick. If your pan is of a slightly smaller size, you may want to adjust the amount of cookie dough you use and keep some out so that the crust layer isn’t too thick.
5. If you have the time, refrigerate the crust overnight to get the most optimal texture and flavor. If you don’t have time, refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, until firm.
6. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and place the pie shell in the freezer to get really cold while the oven preheats. Once preheated, spray the pie lightly with nonstick cooking spray and press foil over the bottom and sides of the pie. Fill the foil-lined shell with beans, rice, or pie weights.
7. Bake the shell at 350°F for 20 minutes, rotating halfway throughout. Bake it until the sides are light golden and look fairly set. Remove the shell from the oven and carefully remove the foil and beans, and return the pan to the oven.
8. Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, until the crust is puffed and light golden in the center. If the sides seem to be getting too dark during the baking process, cover them with a ring of foil. Let the crust cool completely before filling.

Candied Walnuts:

1. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook it, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar syrup is a medium amber and smells like caramelized sugar.
2. Add the walnuts to the sugar and stir until they’re coated. Pour the walnuts out onto the prepared pan and separate them as best you can. Let them cool completely at room temperature until hard.
3. Once cool, coarsely chop the walnuts and caramel.

Butterscotch Mousse and Assemble:

1. Combine the butterscotch chips, 3/4 cup of cream, and salt in a medium saucepan. Place the pan over medium-low heat and warm up the chips, whisking frequently, until they’re entirely melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour the butterscotch mixture into a large bowl, and let it cool to warm room temperature, stirring occasionally.
2. While you wait for the butterscotch mixture to cool, prepare the gelatin. Whisk together the gelatin and the cold water in a small bowl, and set it aside to let the gelatin absorb the water. When the butterscotch is at warm room temperature, microwave the bowl of gelatin for 15 seconds, until it is melted. Whisk the melted gelatin and butterscotch together.
3. Whip the remaining 2/3 cup heavy cream to firm peaks. Fold half of the whipped cream into the butterscotch, and once it’s incorporated, gently fold in the remaining whipped cream. Scrape the mousse into the cookie shell, and spread it into an even layer. Refrigerate the pie for 2 hours, until the mousse is fully set.
4. Once set, top the mousse with the candied walnuts, whipped cream, caramel sauce, and whatever else you desire! The mousse stays firm at room temperature, so for the best taste and texture (and the easiest time cutting the pie into slices!) let it come to room temperature before serving.