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Buttermilk Pie finds a place of honor 
in Grams’ Betty Crocker cookbook

By Dave Ross

A few years ago I was appointed caretaker of my grandmother’s Betty Crocker cookbook, circa 1950.

The great thing about this book is that it is filled with recipes written in her own hand.

Every blank space and margin contains a list of ingredients for one of her favorite pies, cookies or breads.

There are no instructions, just lists of ingredients. Grams was a great cook, and when people would ask her about a certain technique, she would respond with “you can tell when it’s just right.”

Some people thought she was holding back some secret that made her pie crust flakier, her bread raise higher or her cookies taste better, but the truth is she never did the same thing twice. Grams measured by feel and taste.

Cooking was not necessarily one of the pleasures of her life; rather it was making people happy by feeding them. It was the love with which she cooked that made her and her recipes so special.

When I first started writing this column, my intention was to share some of my memories of Grams and her recipes in the hope some of you would respond in kind.

I think food and family traditions are very important in establishing our roots, and should be passed on from generation to generation.

What better way to remember someone special than with a bite of a favorite food that recalls a memory of times past?

I was greeted the other day by my neighbor, Dirwin Delisle, with, “Hey, Dave, have you ever made a buttermilk pie?”

“No, but I would like to try it,” I replied.

Dirwin said it came from a recipe his mother used to make and that he now makes for his kids.

A couple of days later I saw Dirwin, and he handed me a recipe card with a list of a few simple ingredients.

When I asked him for more details, he answered with, “You just bake it like a pie.”

With that I set out baking Dirwin’s mother’s buttermilk pie.

This is one you should try. It is a great lemony custard pie that you can top with meringue or serve plain.

Buttermilk Pie

2 unbaked pie shells (you can make your own or buy and lie--Pillsbury Refrigerated is my favorite)

4 cups buttermilk

1 stick melted butter

4 eggs

3/4 cup cornstarch

Juice of one lemon

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Blend all the ingredients together thoroughly, and divide evenly between the two shells. Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350 and continue to bake until the filling is firm (approximately 25 to 30 minutes).

This recipe makes two pies.

As for the recipe card given me by Dirwin, it will be placed in Grams’ old cookbook and passed along with the rest of my treasured memories.

If anyone else would like to share a favorite memory, just let me know. You can leave a message for me by calling the Wrangler at (480) 966-0348 or emailing editor@wranglernews.com

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