Buttermilk pie
“Two cups of sugar?” I said to myself as I read over my great-grandma Blanche’s recipe for buttermilk pie. That amount sounded outrageous! But when I mentioned this to a smart bunch of folks, they nodded their heads and said, “Ah, that must be a recipe for buttermilk pie.” And even though I was dubious, I decided to adhere to the wisdom of my elders and bake this sugar-loaded pie as apparently that is just how this pie is done.
Now, if you’re unfamiliar with this old Southern dessert you may be asking, “What is buttermilk pie?” Well, as the name implies, it’s a custard pie made with buttermilk. And while it may sound strange to the uninitiated, take note that Texans have long been resourceful with buttermilk, as for many years it was both inexpensive and widely available. But here’s where defining buttermilk pie becomes tricky, at least for me.
The interesting thing about my recipe is that Grandma Blanche titled it buttermilk chess pie, which begs the question: are chess pie and buttermilk pie the same thing? I used to think that they were not, as I have a chess pie recipe that does not include buttermilk. But perhaps it is simply a variation. I wish I had the answer to these questions, but I don’t. But as I wait patiently for one of you to shed light on this topic I will occupy myself by baking my great-grandma’s buttermilk pie.
Now, to make this pie is a cinch as you simply mix together a custard filling that includes buttermilk, eggs, flour, corn meal and vinegar, and then you pour it into a partially baked pie shell and cook it until it’s set. The hardest thing about making this pie is being patient as you’ll be keeping it in the oven for a while and your home will begin to smell divine.
Not a fan of buttermilk? I wouldn’t worry as this is a luscious dessert. It has a sweet and slightly tangy custard that is wonderful to eat as is, completely unadorned. But if you desire, you could spiffy it up by topping it with some seasonal fruit, candied nuts or a drizzle of sorghum syrup. Many people serve it at Thanksgiving as it sits well on the holiday table with the pecan and sweet potato pies. But you certainly don’t need to a cold-weather holiday to enjoy a slice or two.
And yes, in case you’re wondering, those two cups of sugar do make for a sweet pie but I wouldn’t cut it back too much or it will just taste wrong. Don’t worry as I did: Great-grandma Blanche knew what she was doing.
Great-grandma Blanche’s buttermilk pie
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch unbaked piecrust
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or 1 tablespoon flour, 1/2 tablespoon cornmeal
- 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), softened
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Place the piecrust into pie pan then slide into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Combine the sugar with the flour and cornmeal, if you’re using. Cream the butter. Add the sugar mixture to the butter and then stir in the eggs, salt, buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla extract and vinegar.
- Pour filling into the partially baked piecrust and bake in the oven uncovered until brown on top and the custard has set, about 45-50 minutes.
My sister recently made a buttermilk pie and had extra filling. She crushed up vanilla wafers and mixed them with melted butter and poured the leftover buttermilk mixture in there. Best creation ever!!
A big thank you for reminding me how much I enjoy buttermilk pie. Had not thought of it in years. Now I know what I will be bringing to our family gathering at Thanksgiving this year!
BTW, I have the exact identical recipe. Also hand-written on a 3X5 card by my grandmother (born 1885 in SE Texas). Now I will pass this recipe on to my 9-yr-old granddaughter this year.
From another Homesick Texan currently on a sailboat in Malaysia — but flying home to Houston for Thanksgiving this year!!!
My gramma Rosie Belle was a Texan. She talked about buttermilk pie, and how much she loved it, but I never had the opportunity to have it. I did, however learn how to cook under her wing, when she lived with us when I was 10-17. I'll have to make this for my Mama and see what she thinks…I know she's had gramma's pie 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Anon–I need to make that transparent pie!
Robert–That's a good tip about the butter!
FreeRange Pamela–I can't wait to make it for this Thanksgiving!
Texana–Why have you waited so long? You need to have a slice soon!
Sandy–It's definitely a Southern thing. And I wonder why they stopped teaching the Palmer method?
Brenda–Absolutely! And Texans know how to be resourceful with all that extra buttermilk!
Anon–Good to know!
Lynsey–I love the addition of vinegar as it gives it such a nice tang.
Avery–I'm so sorry to hear that you lost your great-grandmother's recipes; I sometimes wonder if I should keep mine is a safe deposit box.
Michaelinasmom–Oh, no! People call it chess pie all over the South, too.
Kelly–They are indeed similar in texture. Though my sister-in-law's grandmother who's from the West Coast calls chess pie, cornmeal pie. But yes, doesn't matter what you call it as long as you give me a slice!
Sabrina–Hope you find the time! It doesn't take long.
Julie–It might work, give it a try!
Celeste–Exactly–I think these pies were a delicious way to use up extra food they had on hand that good go bad, such as dairy.
Calistalee–I love that old handwriting, too!
Katie–I think it should!
Sharon–I've never made a Boston cream pie, I should definitely try one!
Rachel–It is a lot! I bet you could cut it down to 1 1/2 cups, though. And I love heritage baking, especially when there are very few directions–it's like solving a mystery.
Tommy–Ah, that's such the Thanksgiving classic! Glad it was a hit!
Rob–Oh! I can't wait to try it with chocolate chips!
Me–I would refrigerate it.
Teresa–Ha! I love butter.
Suburban Housefrau–I love that they rise to the top–will try it with those next time!
Jenn–Those local restaurants always have the best pies.
Denise–Of course! I'm a big fan of lassi.
Anon–Oh, my! That sounds like total decadence!
Judy–That will be such a treasure for your granddaughter!
Harlow–I just love the name Rosie Belle! Enjoy!
My great-grandmother's handwriting looked like this, too, and so does my grandmother's (both Texans). 🙂
My husband insists that the buttermilk pie from Kelly's Cafe in Fredericksburg (TX) is the best he's ever eaten (we even had them at our wedding instead of a groom's cake), so I'm trying to replicate that at home. I've been trying to find a good one for ages and have been completely unsuccessful. This just went to the top of my list to try.
Oh, and I also am not sure about the difference between chess pie & buttermilk pie. They seem nearly identical to me.