The Country Club in my home town had a signature dessert, Buttermilk Pie. So sweet and rich that it was almost sinful to get to the end of a meal without room for “just a taste” if nothing else. Years after leaving home and starting my own family, I was working at a CPA firm and one day mentioned this pie in passing to one of our computer/key punch operators, Ernestine.

Ernestine volunteered that she had an old family recipe for a Buttermilk Pie, and wondered if it was the same pie. The next day, Ernestine brought in a punch card with the recipe hand written on the back, with the notation “makes two (2) pies” underscored heavily. This was followed by the verbal warning : “Do not try to cut this in half and only make one pie. It just doesn’t work”.

Knowing that you ignore Ernestine at your own risk, we tried the recipe and, damn, we had two pies that could have been delivered fresh from the Country Club. We were amazed, but also delighted. But, being young and worried about our figures, after a time or two, we cut the recipe in half and made one pie. Ernestine was right – it doesn’t work the same. So follow the recipe, make two pies, and take one to a neighbor.

Buttermilk Pie

6 eggs, beaten
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
3 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup flour
2 - 9" Pet-Ritz pie shells

Mix together. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

This is like a chess pie. It is sweet and oh so good