Orange-Scented Browned Butter & Buttermilk Strawberry Chess Pie
We do love our chess pies here in the south and have our favorite recipes, oftentimes passed down from our mothers and grandmothers. It’s hard to improve on tradition, but I surely tried… by adding browned butter AND strawberries… and just a hint of orange too! I cut back on the sugar just a bit. This classic pie is so easy to make and is a fun one to get aspiring little chefs in the kitchen to help you with.
Course Brunch, Dessert, Sweet Treats
Cuisine Southern Desserts
Keyword browned butter, chess pie, cream pie, got to be nc, strawberries
Servings 6
Ingredients
Crust:
1refrigerated pie crust,room temp.
2tablespoonssugar
1tablespoonorange zest
Filling:
1stick butter
1½cupssugar
1tablespooncorn meal
pinch salt
½cupbuttermilk
3tablespoonsfreshly squeezed orange juice
3large eggs,lightly beaten with fork
about 1½ cups sliced strawberries,about 1/2” thick slices
whipped cream,optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425.
Place pie crust into 9” pie dish pressing sides to adhere to dish. Prick several times with a fork. With fingers, mix 2 tablespoons sugar with the orange zest. Scatter over bottom of the pie crust and gently push into the dough. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from oven. Reduce heat to 350.
Browned Butter: Heat butter over medium heat in a heavy bottomed skillet or saucepan, whisking and watching closely as it melts. Continue heating for about 6-7 minutes until butter smells toasty and has turned golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
Combine 1 ½ cups sugar with the corn meal and salt. Stir together the browned butter, buttermilk and juice. Add this wet mixture to the sugar mixture and fold to combine. Stir in the eggs.
Scatter the pie crust with sliced strawberries. Gently ladle egg mixture over the berries. Bake about 50-60 minutes, until filling is set. Chill. Serve as is or with a dollop of whipped cream!
Notes
If edge of crust is getting too brown, shield edges or tent pie with foil.