Buttermilk Chess Pie Recipe
Recipe information
Make Buttermilk Chess Pie in just 6h . brown butter Methodical coffee ice cream
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Ingredients
Crust
Filling (Buttermilk Chess Pie, brown-butter enhanced)
Methodical Coffee Ice Cream (Brown-butter compatible)
Crust
1. Make dough
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1.25 cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 6 tablespoons chilled cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.
2. Bind
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture, tossing with a fork until dough just comes together. Add up to 1 tablespoon more water only if needed. Gather into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 30 minutes.
3. Blind-bake
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll chilled dough on lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle. Fit into a 9-inch pie pan, trim and crimp edges. Line crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, bake 5–7 minutes more until lightly golden. Reduce oven to 350°F (175°C) for filling.
Filling (Buttermilk Chess Pie, brown-butter enhanced)
4. Brown the butter
In a light-colored heavy saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Swirl occasionally; watch as foam subsides and solids turn golden brown and smell nutty, about 5–7 minutes. Immediately transfer browned butter to a heatproof bowl to stop cooking and let cool slightly but remain liquid (about 5 minutes).
5. Combine dry ingredients
In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1.5 cups granulated sugar, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt and 2 tablespoons cornstarch to remove lumps.
6. Whisk eggs
In a separate bowl, lightly beat 3 whole eggs and 1 yolk until blended. Whisk in the slightly cooled brown butter (pour slowly), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest if using.
7. Make filling
Add the dry sugar mixture to the egg/butter mixture and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in 1 cup buttermilk until combined and smooth. The cornstarch will help stabilize the custard-like chess filling.
Methodical Coffee Ice Cream (Brown-butter compatible)
10. Bloom coffee
In a saucepan, combine 1 cup whole milk and 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder. Warm over medium heat and whisk until espresso dissolves and mixture steams but does not boil, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes for stronger coffee flavor, then rewarm.
11. Temper custard
In a medium bowl whisk 3 egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar until pale. Gradually whisk about 1/3 cup of the warm coffee-milk into yolks to temper. Then pour tempered yolks back into the saucepan with the remaining coffee-milk and the remaining milk/cream mixture (add 1.5 cups heavy cream and remaining milk if not yet added).
12. Cook custard
Over medium-low heat, stir the custard constantly with a spatula, scraping the bottom, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon (170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not boil.
13. Finish with brown butter and flavor
Remove from heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons cooled liquid brown butter, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust coffee intensity with a pinch more espresso dissolved in a teaspoon of hot water if desired.
14. Chill and churn
Strain custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any cooked bits. Cool to room temperature, then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator (4 hours or overnight). Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions until soft-set.
15. Harden
Transfer churned ice cream to an airtight container and freeze at least 4 hours to firm before serving alongside pie.
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