Food Friday (Buttermilk Pie and the perfect Pie Crust)

Friday, June 25, 2010

 

 Alright, I know you are already thinking about clicking that red “X” in the corner up there…right?  Even just the word BUTTERMILK sounds gross lol!  But, stay with me here, I promise that it’s just a name, and not a description of flavor :o)  Trust me, I cannot stand buttermilk, I even have to hold my nose when I am mixing it into the recipe lol!  So, if I can eat this and LOVE it, there is a good chance that you can, too :o)  If you are from the South, you have probably at least heard of Buttermilk Pie, if not eaten it, too!  It is pretty much a staple in the South, and is similar to a Chess Pie if that helps any at all.  It is a rich and sweet custardy pie with a unique flavor and texture.  I guess it’s really kinda tough to explain.  The main thing I want to tell you is that it is SOOOOOOOOOOO EASY!  Seriously – I am NOT someone who bakes pies, ever lol.  They are too fussy and tedious, what with the crust and trying to make sure they are cooked perfectly, etc…give me a cupcake anyday lol!  Except when it comes to THIS pie!  It is super simple and comes out perfectly, every time!  And, best of all, I also found a HOMEMADE PIE CRUST recipe that is truly no-fail (I would know, lol), and the best I have EVER had (ditto all of our family and friends who have had it!).  So, let’s get to it…and at the end of the post, I am sharing the 4×6 recipe cards I designed specifically for these two FAVORITE recipes :o)  I hope you enjoy and find them a great and useful addition to your own recipe box!

BUTTERMILK PIE (recipe by Tracy Mulder)

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/8 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg

 

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C).

Beat eggs until frothy; add butter, sugar and flour. Beat until smooth.

Stir in buttermilk, vanilla, lemon juice and nutmeg; pour into pie shell.

Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until center is firm.

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RUTH’S GRANDMA’S PIE CRUST (recipe by Barbara Castodio)

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups shortening

3 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 egg

1/2 cup cold water

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, shortening, sugar, and salt. Blend together with a pastry cutter until crumbly.

In a small bowl, mix egg with water. Blend into flour mixture. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

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So, a couple of tips and revisions that I recommend :o)  First, I try to always have a couple of these pie crusts made and ready-to-go in the freezer!  They freeze REALLY well and are so easy to make, that it is fun to make extra to freeze for later.  I just take a crust or two (since I generally bake two pies at a time) out the day before I am going to bake a pie, and let them thaw in the refrigerator.  You really want the dough to be chilled when you are ready to use it.  If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can use a large cup/glass (just be sure to spread some flour out before rolling your dough) and that will do the trick.  I like to use shallow pie plates for this pie (think tart pan, maybe just a little deeper) as I think you get a better texture that way, than with a deep dish pie plate (I’ve tried both).  A mixer (either hand or stand) is really helpful since you want the eggs to get super frothy for the pie batter, and that is so much easier with a mixer.  I have found the pie to be very forgiving and easy to alter if you wish!  I’ll tell you about some of my personal changes as we go along :o)

Again, this crust recipe is the EASIEST I have EVER tried in my life…AND, beyond that – it is one of the best I have EVER tasted, too!  And, that’s saying something as even though I used to never make my own – I have had lots of homemade crusts in my time…and really good ones, too lol!  I’m not saying this will be the best YOU have ever had…but when you see how simple and fail-proof it is, you won’t care lol!  So, my modifications are simple – I used BUTTER FLAVOR shortening instead of plain, and always use ICE COLD water.  You could also try using all butter, or half butter and half shortening if you like.  But, I have been pretty pleased with the flavor and the simplicity of going shortening all the way :o)  Granted, you will not win any points when it comes to healthy eating…but let’s assume you’re not going to eat this daily LOL!  And, if you do, well – that’s your business and you won’t find me judging you LOL! 

There isn’t much more to say about the pie recipe/batter itself.  It is easy and quick – but I do make a few slight modifications myself.  My family is not big on nutmeg (although I love it) – so I literally just ‘sprinkle’ a little bit of freshly grated nutmeg into the mixture (you could also omit the nutmeg and try cinnamon instead).  Also, I reduce the fresh lemon juice just a little bit and then make up for it with the vanilla (just to keep the liquids even).  I keep saying that I am going to try the pie with SPLENDA instead of sugar at some point…but haven’t yet.  It always seems like I am making it for a ‘special occasion’ and do not want it to taste awful lol!  So, I stick with the sure-thing :o)  You could also try low or no-fat buttermilk if you want.  However, I ALWAYS suggest that the FIRST time you make a recipe – you go pretty much ‘by the book’.  Then, you are better able to make changes and know how they will work for you.  But, I always like to give the original recipe a chance first :o) UPDATE:  I started the post several weeks ago, and since then…ewwwww – we did try a splenda/low-fat butter pie and let me just say that it was inedible.  Not so much because of flavor…but texture.  It seems that the splenda is not dense enough, so even after mixing very well, the eggs went straight to the bottom and we basically ended up with a quiche lol…so i would not recommend it…but still happy we tried.

When it comes to baking times, you know how that goes – they differ from oven to oven and altitude to altitude, etc.  So, my advice is to set the timer for 40 minutes and then keep an eye on it after that.  You want it to solidify a decent bit in the middle (not too much movement when you adjust the pan in the oven).  But, keep in mind that it will never get totally solid or hard, it is meant to be a ‘soft’ pie.  The top will caramelize and form a dark brown crust – don’t worry, it’s supposed to happen, lol!  However, I will say that I generally cover my entire pie (LOOSELY) with foil when it is about halfway done (I almost always have to cook mine for the entire hour…so I put foil on top at about the 30 minute mark) – just so that the crust doesn’t burn, and the top of the pie doesn’t get TOO dark!  Most importantly – DO NOT CUT THE PIE UNTIL IT ‘SETS’!  If you cut it while it is still warm – you will just end up with a soupy mess (trust me, I’ve done it…granted – the soup is delicious, lol – but not what you want) :o)  I recommend letting it cool on the counter and then moving it to the refrigerator overnight…as it only gets better the next day (and then you do not run the risk of cutting into it before it has set up).  So, that’s it!  It really requires NO garnish, lol – but if you must…some powdered sugar and fresh fruit will do the trick :o)  ENJOY and I hope this becomes a favorite for your family, too (our son cannot get enough of this pie!).

As promised, here are the recipe cards I designed for these family favorites!  I had alot of fun working on them and hope that you like them, too!  Just click the image to download!

One of my favorite online recipe sites is ALLRECIPES.COM :o)  That is where both of the above recipes came from!  I also wanted to mention that their logo is being used with permission…well, actually – it is a requirment in their licensing that I include it on the recipe cards as well as here on the post.  Just wanted to let you know in the event you were wondering why there is a logo on the cards LOL!

That’s it :o)  Thanks so much for reading…and I’d love to hear from you guys if you give these recipes a chance!

Lu will be here tomorrow with a new LOTW…and I’ll be back on Sunday to share the new free desktop :o)

Shabby PrincessFood Stuff, Free (not desktops), Uncategorized 19 Comments