Buttermilk Pie

I made this pie tonight to share with some friends. It's a bit of a twist on a custard pie; lemon juice and buttermilk give a more complex flavor, and butter makes for a--well, buttery experience! This is my version of a traditional Amish recipe. I cut down on the sugar, and next time I think I'll reduce it further, maybe to 1/2 or 3/4 cup instead of a full cup.

Buttermilk Pie
1 unbaked 9” pie shell
½ c butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Speck of salt
Grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare pie shell. Cream butter and sugar. Add flour, eggs, buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Mix well. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle nutmeg over top. Bake for one hour or until top is golden brown.

I like to put a foil collar around my crust for at least the first half of the baking time, so that we don't end up with extra-brown and unappetizing crusts. We like to eat our piecrust.

At first I was planning to make a fruit pie with a top, so I measured out enough flour for a top and a bottom crust. When I changed my mind and didn't need top crusts, I doubled the recipe and made two pies.

This would be a good dessert for a meal that was a little low in protein, as it has quite a bit in the form of eggs and buttermilk.

Another variation I have tried is to use 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder instead of the 3 tablespoons of flour. I think it was a bit creamier result.

These pies look a bit lopsided--that's evidence of the fact that my stove is not level! At least the homely appearance doesn't affect the flavor.