Chef Julie Tanous of the food and lifestyle blog Julie & Jesse based her buttermilk pie off her sister Mary Jane’s recipe. She added the flair of the Meyer lemon to balance out the custardy pie’s sweetness. For more of Julie Tanous and award-winning actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s recipes, look to their holiday sweets lineup.
Meyer Lemon Buttermilk Pie
Makes 1 (9-inch) pie
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 1¼ cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
- ½ cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes, chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes
- 4 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed
- Filling:
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups (315 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (35 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
- ½ cup (115 grams) butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ¾ cup (180 grams) whole buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice
- Candied Lemons (recipe follows)
Instructions
- For crust: In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt until incorporated.
- Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture is mealy (about 15 pulses) and a few pea-size pieces of butter still remain. Add half of the ice water, and pulse a few times, then add the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough just comes together. (Do not overmix.) You should still be able to see small pieces of butter.
- Shape dough into a 5-inch disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Roll out piecrust, and place in a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges, and place in freezer for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- For filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs slightly with the motor on low speed, about 30 seconds. With the mixer on low, add in the sugar, flour, and salt; mix until just combined. Next, add the melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla, Meyer lemon juice and zest, and mix for another minute. Pour batter into pie shell.
- Bake until the custard is set, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool completely, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with Candied Lemons.
Candied Lemons
Ingredients
- 4 small lemons
- 1 cup (210 grams) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Cut 4 small lemons into ⅛-inch-thick rounds; discard seeds.
- In a large skillet, stir together sugar, ¾ cup water, and lemon juice over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
- Add lemon slices, and simmer gently, keeping slices in a single layer, turning occasionally, until slightly translucent and rinds are softened, 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Using tongs, place slices in a single layer on prepared pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cover and chill 2 hours to 2 days.
