All This Talk About Pie...

"Baby don't you cry, gonna make a pie, gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle..."  


I've been humming this song all morning as I blogged about the tomato pie my mom baked for me yesterday and thought about another pie I've been meaning to tell you about.  But with all this talk about pie, I thought I'd better let you in on a little secret...


I don't really like pie crusts.  I know. When I eat pie, I usually eat the filling and leave most of the pie crust on my plate, a fact which greatly distresses my husband and grandma, though they've still agreed to love me.


However, since crusts hold the pie together and most people like them, I make pies with crusts.  But I recently discovered frozen pie crusts which, in my opinion, are the bomb.  No more attempts at homemade crusts or trying to pinch the sides of refrigerated crusts for me.  Frozen all the way, baby!


Anyway, back to the pie I've been meaning to tell you about...


I read cookbooks and cooking magazines for fun.  And everything I had been reading lately kept taking about buttermilk pie...so I just had to try one!  


It was the right thing to do.


A buttermilk pie, I learned, is made up of just a few, simple ingredients.  As I made it I could envision women of the past baking these with the fresh ingredients from their farms.  As I tasted it, I thought of creme brulee.  I love creme brulee, though I've never made it because I don't have a torch, and quite frankly, don't know if it's a good idea with my klutzy tendencies.  But that's another story.  


Back to the pie.  Like I said, it tasted like creme brulee, custardy in the center and crispy on top. It tasted fresh, especially since I had topped mine with a pile of blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries (I'm a berry fanatic). 


Honestly, I was surprised how good it was! 


I used a Paula Deen recipe which was, well, easy as pie.  And here it is...


Preheat oven to 350.  In large bowl, beat 1 1/4 cup sugar; 1/4 cup melted butter; 3 large eggs lightly beaten; and 1 TBS flour.  Stir in 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1 tsp vanilla extract.  Pour into unbaked, thawed frozen pie shell.  Bake 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 325 and bake 1 hour, shielding edges after 30 minutes.  Cool completely and garnish with berries.

"Baby don't you cry, gonna make a pie, hold you forever in the middle of my heart."