Brown Sugar Buttermilk Pie w/ Gingersnap Crust
Hey ya’ll! It’s my favorite time of year. Well, it really started back in September, but once Halloween hits, we’re in the big leagues. Yep, I’m talking about The Holiday Season! I LOVE the holidays. All of them, even those I don’t celebrate! It’s just a time of year that is filled with so many…
Hey ya’ll! It’s my favorite time of year. Well, it really started back in September, but once Halloween hits, we’re in the big leagues. Yep, I’m talking about The Holiday Season! I LOVE the holidays. All of them, even those I don’t celebrate! It’s just a time of year that is filled with so many great memories. It would be during this time I would come to the States to visit family here and see all of my cousins and my Grandparents. It’s during this season my love for food and cooking really started to develop. The Brown Sugar Buttermilk Pie recipe I’m sharing today is one that is new to my holiday rolodex, but one that will be around for many years to come!
THE INSPIRATION
Alright, so I was inspired by two specific sources for this recipe. One is my Big Mama. If you’ve been following LizeeAngel for any amount of time, you know how much she has influenced my cooking, especially when it comes to southern flavors. Well, something she makes that I found that I really enjoyed is a buttermilk chess pie. It’s so good, with her homemade, flaky crust and creamy custard center. It’s sweet and tangy and rich and full of all that you’d want. When I moved to New York, I discovered the MilkBar “Crack Pie” which was a reminder of her pie, but less tangy and more sweet. The oatmeal cookie crust is honestly the best part and what made me go back anytime I wanted a small reminder of my Big Mama in the Big Apple. When I thought of not being able to see my Big Mama this year for Thanksgiving due to quarantining and everything going on, I knew I would be making my own version of the two pies and adding a little Nik to the recipe as well to make it something truly unique and delicious. Enter, the Brown Sugar Buttermilk Pie!
THE DEETS
The details of this pie are few, but each detail is a big part of what makes this pie so delicious. First lets start with the addition of brown sugar! Because brown sugar is white sugar mixed with molasses, it adds a rich, earthy sweetness to the dish you don’t get with regular sugar. It is also what makes this dish feel more “holiday” to me. Because the pie wouldn’t set up properly with just brown sugar, I included the white sugar component, but used toasted sugar in order to keep the toffee notes you get from brown sugar and to tame the sweetness. Another thing that makes this pie so special is the gingersnap crust. I mean, gingersnaps as the base of a pie?! It’s almost too good to be true. Much like the oatmeal crust from one of my inspirations, this crust is the perfect amount of crisp and tender, but also provides so much warm spice flavor being a ginger snap! Seriously, this pie is just the right amount of tangy and sweet with a crust that truly makes you feel like you’re in the holiday season! Now let’s get into some tips before we dive into the recipe!
TIPS FOR MAKING
There are just a few tips I have for this pie that will help you make it a success. Make sure you follow these in order to have a great new holiday dessert for your family!
- Take the time to toast the sugar. If substituting regular white sugar for the toasted sugar, be sure to understand the pie will taste more sweet.
- Let the pie cool completely before cutting. Because this is a custard style pie, if you cut it too soon, it will not be set up and will be too soft to serve.
- Store in the fridge and press wax paper or cling wrap onto the surface to keep the pie top fresh and keep a skin from forming. You can then wrap the pie in foil or cling wrap.
That’s it from me. Do your entire, safe, restricted, socially distanced quaranteam a favor and make this pie for your holiday meal. Today is also election day in the US, so make sure you’re taking the time to go out and exercise your right to vote! For resources on how and where to vote, visit iwillvote.com!
Don’t forget to tag me in your photos online @lizeeangel or using #lizeeangel. And as always, comment below and please, like, share and follow me on youtube, instagram, twitter, facebook and pinterest!
Brown Sugar Buttermilk Pie with Gingersnap Cookie Crust
Ingredients
- 45 Gingersnap Cookies
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup toasted sugar
- 3 tbsp All Purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven
- In a food processor, process gingersnap cookies until you get a fine crumb.
- Combine sugar, melted butter and gingersnap crumbs in a bowl until well combined and saturated.
- Press crust mixture into pie pan bottom and up the sides firmly. Set aside
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a mixing bowl), combine butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. About 7 minutes.
- Add in flour and eggs, one at a time, and mix until just combined.
- Add in buttermilk, vanilla and lemon juice and beat until well combined. You want to make sure mixture is smooth.
- Pour filling into the prepared crust and bake for 1 hour, or until crust is completely set.
- Remove from oven and allow pan to cool completely before serving.
