The Hirshon Buttermilk Pie

Citizens, one of the great things about this New York City boy marrying into a Southern family is my indoctrination into the hidden gospels of homemade pie making.

In the South, I am firmly convinced that Darwinism has been indelibly proven – 100 years ago, any woman who failed to become a culinary goddess at an early age was doomed to never find a husband. The result is that in the South, all the women today seem to be awesome cooks and even a mediocre homemade pie brings a carpetbagging Yankee to his knees.

The truly exceptional pies like those baked by my in-laws consistently win State Fairs and prove the culinary primacy of Southern desserts to the Northern son-in-law.

It was a few years ago that I was first exposed to what has become my favorite southern dessert – buttermilk pie. I thought it would be decent, but it turned out to be INCREDIBLE. It’s also very easy to make.

Buttermilk pie is a custard-like pie. Originally from the United Kingdom, it is now a traditional pie of the southern United States. It is similar to, and sometimes confused with, chess pie but it does not include cornmeal.

The basic filling consists of a mixture of sugar, butter, eggs, buttermilk, and wheat flour. Variations on the recipe include vanilla, lemon zest, nutmeg, and coconut. Buttermilk pies are made with a pie crust. The filling is poured into the crust and baked until the mixture sets. The pie is best eaten at room temperature after being allowed to cool, but may be eaten either warm from the oven or after being chilled.

Try my tweaked recipe of the classic – I’ve added a bit of cardamom to the traditional nutmeg and it adds a special touch to this great dessert. 🙂 I’d enjoy this as the cooling close to a fiery Southern dinner of Nashville hot fried chicken!

Battle on – The Generalissimo