Lemon Buttermilk Pie

Lemon Buttermilk Pie is an old fashioned dessert from the South. It’s basically a custard pie, but in the place of cream we use buttermilk, which adds a little bit of twang to each bite. This is an easy and fairly quick pie to make. My 6-year-old says it tastes like Lemon Brownies (That’s a post for another time. They’re delicious and one of my go-to desserts.) and she snarffed almost the whole pie down by herself. But, this is a pie and it would be great for any time of the year and for any occasion.

Here’s a little tip: I don’t always have lemons on hand, but I do always have lemon essential oil on hand. I love to use it in place of lemon zest because for one, I’m not too fond of little bits of lemon peel in my desserts. I just don’t really care for the texture. And for two, it’s so strong. 3 or4 drops in place of a tablespoon of lemon zest. Or you could add up to 10 drops if you’re like me and you love a punch of lemon flavor. So, if you keep lemon essential oil on hand, give it a try in your baking.

Lemon Buttermilk Pie

• Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. Line a 9-in. pie plate with pastry. Trim, seal and flute edges; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat the buttermilk, eggs, butter, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. Add to sugar mixture; mix well.
4. Pour into crust. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
5. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325°; bake 40-45 minutes longer or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator.

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