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Sunday, November 14, 2010

Buttermilk Pie



I baked this pie several weeks ago (it was in my backlog of recipes to post) and I realized I had better get it up because you might just need to bake it for Thanksgiving. I understand, from reading other blog posts about this pie, that it is a traditional Thanksgiving dish in many places.

I admit I wasn't sure when I looked at the ingredients if my family would like this pie (or even me for that matter). Buttermilk? In a pie? Isn't buttermilk kind of tangy and oddly textured -- sort of thick, sort of runny? Well, yes it is. But, I told myself, it works well in all sorts of sweet treats, like pancakes and waffles. Why not pie? Besides it has loads of sugar to sweeten it up. And my Southern mama's heart really wanted to bake a Buttermilk Pie. It just sounds Southern doesn't it? Especially if you say "pie" like Paula does.

I thought the texture of this pie would be like Custard Pie, which my family does indeed love. But it is not. It is more firm than Custard -- more like a Chess Pie. The recipe I used came from Katy's Kitchen -- isn't her pie pretty? I felt badly that I forgot to take a picture of my pie before I cut into it, but that's real life, isn't it? And I only felt badly until I bit into my piece of pie. Mmm, sweet, but not too sweet. Good texture, good flavor. Yum. It would indeed make a great addition to the Thanksgiving dessert buffet -- just a little sliver of Buttermilk Pie next to a little sliver of Pumpkin Pie -- perfect! This pie could hardly be easier -- I guess if you used a frozen or refrigerator crust it would be incredible simple -- as easy as pie!

I think I may have to add this one to my Thanksgiving menu -- just one more pie won't hurt!


Southern Buttermilk Pie

1 10-inch pie shell, unbaked (I used a 9 1/2 inch deep dish Pyrex pie pan)
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
3 eggs, beaten
1 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add flour and eggs and beat well. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Blend. Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake for 50 minutes to one hour.

2 comments:

Beth said...

So, being a southerner now, I must make this pie?

Of course, being a person not used to using butter milk but has two half fulk gallons of milk that went bad (before sell by date mind you!!!) can I use that in place of the butter milk?

Thanks!

Barbara said...

I don't know if you must, but you'll be glad you did! ;-)

But, about the spoiled milk, I don't think I'd use it in anything, unfortunately. Buttermilk is not spoiled, even though it has a sour taste. Old-fashioned buttermilk is the milk left after the cream has been churned into butter. Today, buttermilk is made by adding a bacteria culture to pasteurized milk, similar to yogurt. Lactic acid gives it the sour flavor. The spoiled milk likely has too much bad bacteria in it to consume. If it spoiled before the use-by date I would take it back to the store!