Buttermilk Pie is as southern as grits. It is known as a “desperation pie” and was common before refrigeration and canned pie fillings, and during times of hardship like the Great Depression and rationing of World War II. Desperation pies use staple ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, and make use of other ingredients that cooks had on hand to substitute for ingredients that were out of season or too expensive. Other desperation pies include Shoofly Pie, Chess Pie, and Sugar Pie.
My sister-in-law Jeanette was visiting recently and mentioned she had a family recipe for Buttermilk Pie that she had tweaked over the years. She was kind enough to send it to me and I could not wait to make it. It was easy to make and oh so YUMMY. Here is her recipe and how I made it.
Into a medium size bowl add one stick of melted butter that has been cooled slightly. Whisk in 2 cups of sugar until well blended. Whisk in 5 room-temperature eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Then add 3 tablespoons of flour, a pinch of salt, 2/3 cup of room-temperature buttermilk and 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract. Whisk until combined and pour into an unbaked pie shell.
Place the pie on a cookie sheet and pop into a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until the middle of the pie does not shake. Let cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
This is a rich pie that your guest will surely love. And some people may remember it from their childhood. Enjoy!
My grandma and my mother both baked this pie.
Yum!