toasty buttermilk pie.

no pictures sorry :( 

The title was originally "Browned Butter Buttermilk Pie," but there was too much butter going on. Not that that's a problem for most people ..

I actually reduced the butter in the recipe, but increased it in the title! Ha ha! I feel so clever. Actually, I get this "cleverness" from my dad.

(a fey days ago, over texting)

Me: The temperature is 97 degrees right now, and the heat index is 110. My work still has no AC. 

Dad: No need to go to India. 

(few minutes later, trying to continue conversation) 

Me: Can we go to Denville Dairy for dinner?!?! 

Dad: This is "cool" idea. 

Ya see, ya see? I just can't help but exude as much "cleverness" as he does. And if you haven't noticed my oh so subtle quotation marks by this point ... ok let's keep the focus on the pie.

I came home from work today and just wanted to not do anything. I hauled lots of boxes and random sampled lots of stuff. And didn't interact with a lot of people, and since talking to different workers and joking with them from time to time is what keeps me enjoying work, I was kind of acting
mechanically today. I'm not really tired, per se, but at the time, I was really ready to just pack and relax. 

And baking usually helps me relax. Although sometimes it can be stressful. I used a rolled frozen pie crust (I'm going on vacation tomorrow and I had a rough day, okay! No need to justify myself ..) and had it on a baking sheet outside to thaw. Then I hear a loud metallic clang of something falling, my grandma shouted that the pan fell down, my brother came racing because I think he enjoys increasing chaos, and then I rushed outside to bring in the pan that was still sitting where I left it, wondering why all the noise and madness was necessary. And then I saw bits of grass stuck to the pie crust. Cool. 

Th end result though?

The pie has no egg whites folded in (as I read in one recipe) or anything fancy - it has a procedure that seems unusual to me, I guess because I'm used to the usual [mix fats & sugar-add eggs-add dry mix-add other] method for cakes, cookies, breads, etc. The simple mixing methods and lack of much air incorporation results in a custardy pie. Not creamy, but custardy. 

I am not sure of how else to describe this. It is mellow flavored. I was considering adding almond extract (which I think would have been good), but instead, I browned the butter to add some additional toasted flavor, hence the "toasty" in the title. The soft filling is a good contrast to the flaky crust. I served canned (NOT JUSTIFYING MYSELF) cherry pie filling on the slices to those in my family who wanted it. 

Consensus? I think I (along with most of my family) just don't enjoy such eggy desserts. The filling is not a smooth custard like creme caramel (ah!), but more like the type of custardiness you would get from a pudding cake. 

My grandpa loved it though. I love him. He loves sweets - a trait my dad inherited and that I, in turn, inherited - to no end, and he always enjoys my desserts. He's such a cute old man, and I mean that in the most endearing way possible. 

Anyway, if you know that you like or don't mind eggy desserts, or if you in fact LURVE them, try this! If you are unsure, try this anyway! It is a nice simple dessert that is so easy to whip up. The only difficult part is the browning of the butter, and since the recipe calls for melted butter, you might as well brown it while you're at it, as well. Either way, it's an optional step that I added, because, you know, I like to make things as difficult as possible. 

Toasty Buttermilk Pie

slightly adapted from here.

• 3 large eggs 
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 2 Tb flour 
• 1/4 tspn salt 
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted (and browned, if desired) 
• 1 1/2 tspns vanilla extract 
• 9" unbaked pie crust (not deep dish, unless you double the filling recipe) 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 
2. Beat the eggs together. 
3. Mix the sugar, flour, and salt in a small bowl. Incorporate well into the eggs. 
4. Add the melted butter. Beat well. 
5. Add vanilla. Beat well. 
6. Pour filling into the pie crust-lined pie dish. Bake 45 minutes - 1 hour. 
7. Let cool to room temperature or eat chilled from the fridge. Top with warmed, liquified preserves, a fruit sauce, or pie filling. Or plain. Enjoy!