There’s a New Custard in Town, and It’s Name is Buttermilk

Ok so maybe new is a bit of a stretch. After all, buttermilk pies have been around for a long time. But Buttermilk Bakeshop’s take on this southern classic has definitely gotten my attention. On a recent pie crawl, (for those of you new to the blog, pie expectations regularly goes on multi-pie shop excursions in which numerous innocent pies sacrifice themselves for the sake of my taste buds), I discovered that this delightful custard pie has found a home in good ol’ Park Slope. For those not familiar with the buttermilk itself, it’s the thick liquidy stuff that’s left behind after butter is churned. For those of you not familiar with churning butter, well, Google can help you out with that. Imagine going at a tub of heavy cream with a plunger for a good while and you’ve pretty much got the whole churning thing down. Most folks only reach for buttermilk when making pancakes or cornbread from scratch as it makes them tender and rich. Thank you buttermilk for I have put away many a pancake in my day. But drinking buttermilk straight from the carton? That a NoGo. Tastes kinda like somebody accidentally spilled a cup of lemon juice into a glass of milk. But that same tangyness makes it great for taking a basic custard pie and giving it a little bit of extra oomph. In this case, instead of making a really tart custard, Buttermilk Bakeshop went more sweet. They added a sugar topping that very much reminds one of crème brulee along with a moist, silky custard filling that gives just the slightest hint of the tang of buttermilk. Good choice. Such a simple yet simply delicious pie. And we all know how much of a sucker I am for a good custard. Buttermilk Bakeshop is now firmly on my pie crawl map. So if anyone else is down for a fine buttermilk pie, swing by the Slope. You might just end up like me, eating one in house and then getting one to go. Without any shame at all.