Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Boo~Yah Pie {PIE #6}

A slice of nice!

Buttermilk Pie is a classic Southern custard pie, which some refer to as Chess Pie. These pies derive their slight tanginess from buttermilk, and some recipes call for the addition of vinegar. My recipe adds the brightness of lemon zest and juice with a bit of warm nutmeg. The smell of this pie baking is homey and nostalgic, and it takes me back to a pleasant time in my grandma’s kitchen.

The first time I made a Buttermilk Pie, it was kind of by accident. I had a quart of left-over rich buttermilk, and i didn’t want it to go to waste. So I Goggled “Buttermilk Recipes.” Happy to see the options, I decided to try the pie. Now being forthright, and honest, the name of it alone did not appeal to me. I wasn’t entirely sure if it would be sweet or savory. And BOO~YAH! I was so pleasantly surprised by the end product. I hope you’ll give it a try and see for yourself, it is some kind of delicious.

Old-Fashioned BOO-YAH Buttermilk Pie

INGREDIENTS

1 Recipe Perfect Buttery Pie Crust

1 egg white, beaten until frothy

Rolled out, and baked in 9” pie dish. Reserve the left over pie dough to make leaf cut-outs to embellish the top of pie.

Pre-heat over to 425 degrees F. Bake 15 minutes. Immediately brush the hot pie crust with beaten egg white to seal it. This will preserve the crispiness once the filling is added and baked. Set aside while you prepare pie filling.

Roll out left-over pie dough and cut leaf shapes. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 10 minutes with the pie crust. Cut-outs should be pale in color and have a firm texture. Remove from oven and set aside.

FILLING

3 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, room temperature

1 -1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1-1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature

8 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter, cooled

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degree F.

In the stainless steel bowl of a standing mixer, beat the eggs, yoke, cornstarch and sugar. In a two cup measuring cup, add buttermilk, butter, lemon juice.

While beating, pour buttermilk mixture into egg mixture in a steady stream, combining well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add zest, nutmeg and salt, and mix until combined.

Pour this mixture into the prepared pie shell. Bake for 45 minutes. After that time, filling will have begun to set-up. You can place the prepared leaf cut-out on top of the filling decoratively. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Filling will be puffy and a bit jiggly. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving. The puffiness of the pie will settle and the filling will become dense and set.

Fresh berries, and slightly sweet fresh whipped cream would be a lovely garnish for this simple pie.