Food & Drink

Sweet Tea Buttermilk Pie

A variation on the classic that might be one of the most Southern dessert pairings ever—courtesy of Raleigh, North Carolina, chef Debbie Moose

By Kathleen Purvis

October/November 2018

photo: Hélene Dujardin

Ingredients

- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tbsp. loose black tea leaves
- 1 prepared piecrust, unbaked (either a frozen ready-made 9-inch crust or refrigerated dough)
- ½ tsp. grated lemon zest
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ tsp. vanilla
- ¼ cup melted unsalted butter
- Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Preparation

Warm the buttermilk in a small saucepan over medium-low just until it begins to steam. (Don’t allow it to boil or it may curdle.) Remove from heat and stir in the tea leaves. Let it sit for 1 hour, then strain out the tea and reserve the infused buttermilk.

Preheat oven to 425°F. If using refrigerated dough, line a shallow 9-inch pie pan with it, trimming excess and crimping edges.

Use a fork or whisk to combine the lemon zest, sugar, and flour in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, infused buttermilk, and melted butter. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and whisk to combine well.

Pour the filling into the shell. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake until the edges puff and the center is no longer liquid, about 30 minutes longer. If the crust begins to overbrown before the center is set, reduce the heat to 300°F. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Garnish with mint leaves before serving.

Recipe from Debbie Moose, author of Buttermilk and Carolina Catch

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