Honey Lemon Buttermilk Pie

I had a hankering for pie. But exactly what kind of pie is seasonal for early Spring? I have plenty of Fall favorites in my repertoire - Apple, Pumpkin, Chocolate Pecan. And while all delicious, none of these recipes put the spring in my step. Ehhh?

Anyways... I was leaning more custardy, so I thought I might tinker with a Southern classic: Buttermilk Pie. In essence, a bunch of sugar, eggs and buttermilk whisked together, poured into a pie shell and baked. My recipe swaps some of the sugar for honey for subtle floral notes and adds a bit of lemon zest for bright punch.

This filling comes together in seconds with nothing more than a bowl and whisk. And if you're looking to make it that much easier on yourself, just grab a store-bought crust.

Though I can't stress this next point enough... don't skip or skimp on the berries. Yes, this pie can stand on its own. But with a heaping mess of fresh berries, this pie goes from "that was delightful" to "imma need a second piece!"

It would make the perfect addition to your Easter menu, don't you think?

Honey Lemon Buttermilk Pie

Ingredients

· 1 9-in pie crust, storebought or homemade

· 1 cup sugar

· ½ cup honey

· 4 eggs

· 1 cup buttermilk

· ¼ cup butter, melted & cooled

· Zest of a lemon

· 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg

· 1 tsp vanilla extract

· ¼ cup flour

· ¼ tsp salt

· About 4 cups of fresh berries

· Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350F.

Using a fork, dock (prick) the pie crust. Line the pie crust with parchment paper. Cover the parchment with baking beans or pie weights. Blind bake the crust for 10 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool. Keep the oven on while making the pie filling.

For the pie filling, combine the sugar, honey, and eggs with a whisk in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the buttermilk, butter, lemon zest, nutmeg, and vanilla extract until smooth. While whisking, gradually sift over the flour and salt to ensure no lumps.

Remove the baking weights and parchment from the pie crust. Pour the filling into the pie crust.

Bake the pie for 60 to 75 minutes until the center of the pie is set but still wobbly. If the crust is browning quicker than the center of the pie is setting (start checking around 45 min), loosely cover the crust with foil leaving the center of the pie exposed to continue to cook and brown.

Once the pie is baked, turn the oven off and open the oven door completely. Allow to cool in the oven for 30 minutes. Transfer the pie to the counter and allow to cool to room temperature for another 2 hours. Transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours to allow the pie to set.

Serve wedges of the chilled pie with heaping spoonfuls of fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream.

Serves 8

Gluten Free Friendly!

For this recipe, pick up your favorite GF storebought pie crust or make your own. Swap the flour in the filling for Cup4Cup.