Now that you have the perfect pie crust recipe and know exactly how to roll it out and crimp it into submission, right? Right. Well, it’s time to make a pie with that bad boy. Aight, let’s do this.
What’s better to make than something as simple as a buttermilk pie? And buttermilk pie is such a Southern thing, isn’t it? Any excuse to add a bit of twang from buttermilk to everything from biscuits to pancakes to cornbread and pie is a good one. The hubs and pretty much all of our family love my classic buttermilk pie recipe (let’s not focus on how far my food photography has come, hm’k?). We once witnessed a good family friend eat the last bit of pie shamelessly straight out of the pie dish. Bib and all. Safe to say he enjoyed it.
So when Remington bequeathed me with a humble request for buttermilk pie recently and I found myself with a spare pie shell and can of pumpkin puree, I thought why not? It could just be serendipity.
Oh it was. Indeed it was. I basically just took my classic recipe and added to it, editing a bit here and there to accommodate the addition of an entire can of pumpkin. I took away one of the eggs since pumpkin lends itself as a binding agent similar to eggs. I reduced the amount of buttermilk slightly since pumpkin adds some necessary liquid. I added spices in the form of pumpkin pie spice and black pepper, but basically everything else remained. I was unsure how the lemon in a classic buttermilk pie would pair with pumpkin and spices, but the acidity of the lemon really brightened up the flavors. This buttermilk and pumpkin custard based pie is light, fluffy, and super creamy. It’s not as dense or firm as a traditional pumpkin pie, but a nice meld between that and chiffon. So creamy. Creamy and delicious. And honestly this pie doesn’t need anything else. Normally I want a good dollop of whipped cream with my pumpkin pie, but this one stands alone – it doesn’t need a thing.
Pumpkin Buttermilk Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie shell parbaked.
- 2 eggs separated
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 stick butter melted and cooled slightly
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- Zest of one lemon
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Beat egg yolks, pour in sugar and flour and beat until creamed together.
- Pour in melted butter (be sure the butter is cooled slightly to prevent the eggs from cooking) and beat until creamy.
- Add remaining ingredients and beat until combined.
- Whip egg whites in a separate bowl. Fold into custard mixture.
- Pour into pie shell. Set on baking sheet. Bake in middle of preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until done in the center. A toothpick should come out clean even if the center still jiggles a little.
- Allow to cool completely or even chill overnight in the fridge before serving.
- And if the center cracks, well, just decorate it with pretty pastry shell leaves. 😉
This just might be my new favorite pie. I hope it’s yours too.
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