There’s something I love about a custard-y pie: Crisp, buttery crust meets a creamy, firm pudding. Although I’ve grown up in the South, I’ve never noticed a buttermilk pie on any menus (which is a pity), so I’ve resorted to making it myself.
I made my first buttermilk pie a few years back for my blog. This particular recipe has become one of my absolute favorites. Although I first enjoyed eating a slice served with a side of fresh raspberries, I’ve started to prefer baking the raspberries into the pie. Raspberries are the ideal fruit to eat cooked since the tartness is often offset when warmed. A bit of lemon zest only enhanced the fruity flavors. Happy baking!
Raspberry Buttermilk Pie
Makes 1 9-inch pie
Pie Crust, store-bought or homemade (recipe follows)
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk
1½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. lemon zest
2 cups raspberries
Powdered sugar
• Make the Pie Crust (recipe follows).
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars together with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs.
• Stir in the flour, salt, buttermilk, vanilla and lemon zest.
• Pour the mixture into the pie crust and then drop in the raspberries.
• Bake until the top of the pie is brown and only slightly jiggly, about 45 minutes.
• Let cool completely before eating.
• Sift powdered sugar over the top before serving.
This pie will store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Pie Crust Makes enough for 2 single-crust pies
Adapted by Amrita Rawat from a recipe originally published on SmittenKitchen.com 2½ cups flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
2 sticks (8 oz.) butter, chilled
¾ cup ice cold water
• Fill a 1-cup measuring cup with water and drop an ice cube in it. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt with a whisk.
• Cube the butter and sprinkle it over the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender or your hands to mix together until the pieces of butter are the size of small peas.
• Drizzle half of the cold water over the mixture, and use a spatula to gather the dough together.
• Pour in a little more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a ball.
• Divide the dough in half and wrap each dough ball in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour, or freeze for later use.
• When ready to use, roll out the dough into a circle about 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Arrange the dough in a 9-inch pie plate and trim any overhang. Place the pie plate in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until the crust hardens.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Press aluminum foil tightly to the surface of the crust and arrange pie weights on top. Bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove the crust from the oven and let cool completely before filling.
This article appears in December 2012.
