Lemon-Buttermilk Pie with Maple-Cranberry Sauce via "Homemade Decadence" - 52 Cakes and Pies at Home

"This classic Southern pie is a beautifully fragrant baked custard.  It's mostly sweet and slightly tart, and humility is it's grace.  Together the flavors taste wintery."

This is an :OH MY" Recipe.  Little bit Old School, yet deliciously presented with this sweet/savory sauce that simply SCREAMS something special!  This will become a regular on my Holiday table.  One of those pies that everyone will ask for a sliver of.  No matter how much you dream of Pumpkin, this is irresistible.

The recipe comes from the cookbook - Joy the Baker Homemade Decadence: Irresistibly Sweet, Salty, Gooey, Sticky, Fluffy, Creamy, Crunchy Treats .  First, my disclaimer... I received this book FREE! courtesy of BLOGGING FOR BOOKS.  I was sent the book in exchange for this review.  The book was theirs, but the opinions are mine.  What follows is my honest impression.

And that review is five stars, two thumbs up and an equivalent number of spatulas.  How ever you measure a success, this book is now one of my favorites for desserts.  The author, Joy Wilson, is a fellow blogger so of course I have a warm spot in my heart for her work.  But that just gave me a start.  The proof is in the pudding (yep, 2 pudding pies are listed) and the proof is in the success rate.

I made three dishes from the book, plus the crust and sauce recipes that pair with this pie.  ALL of them came out spectacular.  Not only in taste, but also in appearance.  The title says it all, Homemade but also Decadent and a crowd pleasers!

The book itself is top quality.  COLOR full page photos of nearly every recipe.  The photos are not only drool inducing but also give you a great idea of how to make your presentation.  Fully indexed, each recipe also features a short commentary from the author.

This book will become a favorite!



Take a look at the Amazon book preview above (Just click the photo and you will get to the Amazon.com page that includes a preview of the book).  Several pages and recipes for you to get an idea of the quality of the book and the Decadent Eats ahead!

Below is a copy of the recipe featured in the book.  I am reprinting this to make the review complete to show the quality of the book, and the recipes within.

OK... Here's exactly what Joy Wilson says to do...

Lemon-Buttermilk Pie with
Maple-Cranberry Sauce via
"Homemade Decadence"

Ingredients

• Your favorite unbaked Pie Shell (or, See below for Buttermilk Pie Crust recipe)
• FOR THE PIE FILLING -
  1 Cup Sugar
• 1 TBS Grated Lemon Zest
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Freshly grated Nutmeg
• 2 Cups Buttermilk
• 4 Large Eggs
• 3 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• FOR THE BUTTERMILK PIE CRUST - 2-1/2 Cups Flour
• 2 TBS Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 Cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 Cup plus 1 TBS Buttermilk
• FOR THE MAPLE - CRANBERRY SAUCE - 1/2 Cup Fresh Orange Juice
• 1/3 Cup Pure Maple Sugar
• 1/4 Cup packed Brown Sugar
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 (12 Ounce) bag Fresh Cranberries (I used Frozen)
• 1 TBS Pure Vanilla Extract

Cooking Directions

1. FOR THE BUTTERMILK PIE CRUST - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and, using your fingers or a pastry cutter, quickly work the butter into the flour mixture until some butter pieces are the size of oat flakes and some are the size of peas. Make a well in the mixture, pour in the buttermilk, and using a fork, stir until the dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. It will be moist and shaggy. Divide the dough in 2 and gently knead each half into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. To roll out the pie crust, on a well-floured counter, roll the bottom crust until it is 1/8th inch thick and about 12 inches in diameter. Occasionally move the crust around the floured counter during rolling to ensure that it's not sticking to the counter. Transfer to a pie dish and trim the edges. For a single pie crust, fold the edges under and crimp with your fingers or a fork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
3. For a double-crusted pie, roll out the top crust in the same manner. Fill the pie and top with the second crust. Fold both layers of pie dough under and crimp with a fork or your fingers. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking.
4. FOR THE PIE FILLING - Put a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
5. For the filling, in a medium bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Using your fingers, rub the mixture together. The sugar will become slightly moist and fragrant. Whisk in the flour, salt and nutmeg.
6. In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs. Whisk in the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk to combine. Pour the filling into the prepared unbaked pie shell. Bake until the pie no longer jiggles in the center, 45 to 55 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, FOR THE SAUCE, in a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup of water with the orange juice, maple syrup, brown sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring until the sugar dissolved, about 4 minutes. Add the cranberries and cook, stirring, until the cranberries begin to pop, about 6 minutes. Continue to cook the cranberries , stirring occasionally for an additional 10 minutes. The sauce will thicken as the cranberries cook down. Once thick, remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Stir to incorporate and set aside to cool to room temperature.
8. Let the pie cool completely. Top with the cranberry sauce just before serving.
9. The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance.
10. The pie will last, well wrapped in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.

"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review." But the review and opinions are 100% accurate and mine!