Mom's Lemon Buttermilk Pie!

For as long as I can remember, the holiday season has been 

marked by the smell of my mom's lemon buttermilk pie.

Back in college, I tried several times to make my mom's recipe with varying levels of success.

My apartment ovens were fairly temperamental creatures, burning either too hot or not quite hot enough,

so there was always a great amount of guesswork that went in to making a pie.

Now that I have my own home, and an oven that heats up reliably and consistently, I figured it was time to try my hand once again at making my mom's lemon buttermilk pie.

The recipe is deceptively simple, but with patience and attention to detail, I think I go it right this time!

So, first step is to assemble the ingredients!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 a stick of butter

3 rounded Tablespoons of flour

2 cups of sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups of thick buttermilk (WHOLE buttermilk--NOT reduced fat, skim, or any other kind!)

2 teaspoons of lemon zest (grated lemon peel)

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

1 unbaked pie crust

Now, preheat the oven to 350 degrees!

Also, this is a good time to go ahead and take your refrigerated pie crust

out of the fridge and let it reach room temperature for later.

Next, measure out the flour and sugar and the butter.

I used the super-cute already-packaged-that-way half sticks.

Put all three ingredients in the mixer and cream them.

This takes a few minutes on a medium high mixer speed.

When the mixture looks like the picture below, it's done!

While the flour, sugar and butter are creaming, go ahead and grate the lemon peel.

Keep grating until you have approximately 2 teaspoons of lemon zest--a bit extra never hurt anyone!

From this point until the end, with the exception of when adding to the mix, I keep the mixer on low.

Next, measure out the buttermilk.

Again, it needs to be WHOLE buttermilk--nothing reduced or skim or anything like that.

It might be "healthier" but the taste and consistency just plain SUCK.

Add the 3 large eggs to the buttermilk and beat it all together.

Stop the blender and pour the buttermilk-egg mixture into the creamed mixture.

Turn the mixer back on low and let it do it's magic.

While everything is mixing, measure out the 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and the 2 teaspoons of lemon zest.

This time you can leave the mixer going as you add in all the lemony goodness!

While the mixer continues mixing, get out your 9" pie plate.

First grease the pie plate.

Now roll out the pie crust into the pie plate.

Make sure to press the crust into the corners and along the sides of the plate.

 Then take a fork and gently poke some holes in the pie crust--it helps it bake better!

Now, put the pie crust in the oven for about 10 minutes.

At this point, the pie mixture should be very well mixed and ready for pouring!

Once the pie crust has baked for 10 minutes, remove it from the oven.

Pour the pie mixture into the crust.

Don't worry if it looks really full--it's supposed to!

Do stop before the pie mixture overflows the plate, however.

I forgot to take a picture of this step...sorry!

Now, CAREFULLY place the pie in the oven.

Bake it for one hour.

At the end of the hour, carefully take the pie out.

It should be a light golden color and jiggly when you take it out of the oven.

Make sure to let the pie cool completely before cutting into it--that way it has plenty of time to set!

Once it has set--enjoy!!!