Best Little Buttermilk Pie

Truth.

I’ve never had a Buttermilk Pie, so the fact that I’m calling this pie the “Best Little Buttermilk Pie” is probably a little far fetched. However, the pie is ridiculously good.

And easy.

I have decided that until I have a better version, I’m going to call this pie the Best Little Buttermilk Pie. When I do find one that’s better? I’ll call it Better than the Best Little Buttermilk Pie. Better than that pie? Best Ever Buttermilk Pie. And even better than that one?

Okay, okay. You get the picture.

I’m completely prepared to continue testing Buttermilk Pies until I find “the one” that supersedes all buttermilk pies.

I mainly made this pie because both my husband and I have never had one before. I overhead some ladies chatting at a luncheon I was at a couple of weeks ago about who was making their famed buttermilk pie. I heard “famed” and immediately bounced over to the table, introduced myself, and demanded the recipe to the pie.

Demanded is a bit of a stretch but I did beg a bit.

Today I bring you Mrs. Martha’s Buttermilk Pie. Martha was the name of the lady who graciously offered me her family recipe and Miss Martha, if you’re out there reading this today, thank you for being so kind to lend me your pie recipe.

I owe you a slice!

Best Little Buttermilk Pie

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Aimee

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

Serves: 8

Adapted from Mrs. Martha’s Famed Buttermilk Pie.

Ingredients

1 package refrigerated pie crusts
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 stick butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
homemade whipped topping, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the sugar and flour. Whisk in the eggs, butter, buttermilk and vanilla. Add the lemon zest and juice. Stir until combined. Pour into an unbaked pie crust. Sprinkle the toasted pecans on top of the pie filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes using a pie shield or with aluminum foil shielding the edges. Remove when pie is almost set (it shouldn’t be extremely jiggly). ***Monitor the pie for over- browning beginning at 30 minutes.
Let cool for at least 1 hour and store in the refrigerator prior to serving.
Garnish with whipped topping.
Note: To toast the chopped pecans, spread them evenly in a shallow baking pan. Bake the pecans in a 350 degree F oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until they’re browned, stirring the pecans once or twice during the baking time.

Now, Mrs. Martha didn’t add pecans to her pie but I chose to do so because the baking of the delicate topping of the pie could potentially stress me out. You can omit the pecans if you’d like, or if you’re allergic, just know that you’ll need to keep an eye on it as it bakes and you may need to add some aluminum foil to shield the pie during the final minutes it’s in the oven if you see that it is browning too quickly.

The top of the pie should be lightly browned.

I also modified the amount of buttermilk a bit because I was worried the pie would taste too, well, buttermilk-y.

Have you ever experienced a buttermilk pie before? I’m pleased to say that this pie tastes nothing like eating straight buttermilk and more like a sweet custard type of pie (thanks sugar and eggs!).

I hope your year is off to a fantastic start! I apologize for being a little absent over the holidays. I have finally wrapped up my new picnic cookbook (details coming soon!) and am easing back into the blogging groove and stepping off the struggle bus.

It feels good to be back on the 52 Pies Project wagon!!