Buttermilk Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a chess pie and a buttermilk pie? ›

Both pies are very similar but have a few distinct differences. Like a chess pie, buttermilk pie starts with the same main components of butter, sugar, and eggs. But instead of milk and lemon juice (or vinegar), it uses straight buttermilk to give it a tart lusciousness.

Buttermilk pie tastes like a buttery, vanilla custard, baked into a flaky, also buttery pie crust. Buttermilk lends a pleasant creaminess, and lemon zest and juice help to boost the pies tang. It's a simple, sweet, tangy delight!

Remember, this is a custard pie, which means it is not only going to continue cooking once it comes out of the oven, but it also needs time to cool and set. Custard pies need at least 2 hours to properly set before being cut into. If your Buttermilk Pie is runny, it might have been underbaked.

Rather, this Arkansas specialty earned its nickname because it “plays possum,” meaning it also tries to fake out diners with a deceptive appearance. The standard explanation is that the pie's thick top layer of whipped cream obscures secret layers of flavoring beneath it.

Both versions are finished with buttery, brown sugar crumbs. Pie lore offers two explanations for its unusual name. The simple one is that flies get stuck in the sticky-sweet molasses, so bakers must shoo them away. The second explanation is that the pie was named after the 19th-century “Shoofly” brand of molasses.

Buttermilk is made up of a variety of acids – the results of the fermentation process, which give baked goods a couple of benefits. First, the acidity provides tangy flavor to balance all kinds of sweet baked treats. Second, it activates baking soda, producing the gas that makes dough or batter rise.

Today chess pie is most commonly associated as a dessert of the American South. Common types of chess pie are buttermilk, chocolate, lemon, and nut.

Why is My Buttermilk Pie Runny? It may not be fully cooked, OR it may be fully cooked but not fully cooled. You want to make sure to fully let the pie cool at room temperature (at least 2 hours) before you slice it to avoid it being runny.

Vintage Funeral Pie Recipe is an old-fashioned dessert that is made from raisins, spices, and walnuts. It was traditionally made by the Amish, but this sugary pie fits right into a Southern cook's recipe box.

What is bird dog buttermilk pie? ›

Traditional buttermilk pie with a splash of Bird Dog Blackberry Whiskey. The Bird Dog gives a subtle berry undertone. If you haven't had Buttermilk Pie, it's similar to Chess Pie… very sweet!

Fun Fact: I've never been to New York City so I've never actually tried the famous Momof*cku Milk Bar Crack Pie. As the name suggests, it is a super addictive pie made with a homemade oat cookie pie crust and a rich, buttery brown sugar filling.

Yes, you can swap them in a recipe, but it's not as simple as switching buttermilk for heavy cream/heavy cream for buttermilk. For example, if you're replacing buttermilk with heavy cream you'll probably need to switch out your baking soda for baking powder.

Some say that scattering small bits of butter over a fruit filling keeps the juices from bubbling over in the same way that adding a bit of fat to simmering jam keeps it from foaming up in the preserving pan. The theory is that the fat disrupts the formation of bubbles on the surface of the viscous fruit mixture.

Most buttermilk pie recipes start with mixing together the butter, eggs, and flour before adding the buttermilk and lemon juice. This is because the acidic ingredients can curdle the eggs if added prematurely and agitated by the stirring.

No one is entirely sure how chess pie got its name. Some say the pie used to be stored in an old-fashioned pie chest, or "chess" if you've got a Southern drawl.

To put it simply: All buttermilk pies are chess pies, but not all chess pies are buttermilk pies. The chess pie originates from England, but has long been known as a traditional Southern dish. How and where it got its name is a whole different story.

And so, supposedly, the name “Chess Pie” was coined. Chess pie and its many Southern variations — including vinegar pie, transparent pie and Tyler pie (a favorite of Edna Lewis's, putatively named for President John Tyler and perfected by the women of Miss Lewis's hometown of Freetown, Va.)

What is the Difference Between a Sugar Cream Pie and Custard or Chess Pie? Chess pies and custard pies are mixed and poured right into the pie crust, and they contain eggs. A sugar cream pie is made without eggs, and the filling is usually prepared on the stovetop, reducing the overall baking time.