Blackberry Buttermilk Pie

Carla Hall may be a celebrity chef, but her food and kindness are as warm and down-to-earth as a big “Welcome home!” I’ve been lucky enough to work with her on her cookbooks and to learn from her expert baking. We’ve developed multiple buttermilk pies together, starting with her granny’s recipe and spinning it into lighter, fresher desserts. They are sometimes also known as chess pie or sugar pie, and the fillings traditionally ooze butter and sugar. I lightened the Southern standard further for summer. Pureed blackberries highlight the tangy taste of the buttermilk and have enough body and sweetness to replace some of the butter and sugar. The fruit also turns the creamy yet delicate filling a pretty violet color.

makes one 9-inch pie

no nuts

buttermilk filling

1. To make the crust: If the dough has been chilled for longer than 2 hours, let stand for 10 minutes before rolling.

2. Lightly flour a large sheet of parchment paper. Unwrap the disk of dough, place in the center of the paper, and cover with its plastic wrap. Roll into a 12-inch round, occasionally lifting and replacing the plastic wrap. Flip it over and peel off the parchment, then lift the dough with the plastic wrap and flip it into a 9-inch pie plate, gently pressing it into the bottom and up the sides. Discard the plastic. Fold the overhang under so the edge is flush with the rim of the plate and decoratively crimp the edges. Freeze until firm, at least 10 minutes.

3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F.

4. Place the pie plate on a half sheet pan. Line the dough with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans.

5. Bake until the edges of the crust are set but the bottom still looks shiny when you carefully lift up the foil, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and the weights. Bake until the crust is golden and the bottom is dry to the touch, about 10 minutes more. If the edges start to darken too much, shield with strips of foil. Remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

6. Meanwhile, make the filling: Zest the lemon into a blender. Squeeze ¼ cup (56 g) juice from the lemon and add to the blender, along with the sugar and blackberries. If using a vanilla bean, split it lengthwise in half, scrape out the seeds with the blunt side of the knife, and add to the berries. (Save the pod for another use.) Blend on high speed until very smooth, scraping the blender jar occasionally. Add the eggs, buttermilk, butter, cornmeal, and if you’re using it, the vanilla extract. Blend on medium speed, scraping the blender jar occasionally, until smooth and well mixed. You don’t want any bits of blackberry seeds left in the mixture. If the blender didn’t break down all the seeds, strain the filling through a fine-mesh sieve. Pour the filling into the hot pie shell.

7. Bake until the filling is set and the center barely jiggles, 50 minutes to 1 hour.

8. Cool completely on a wire rack. You can serve the pie at room temperature, but it’s even better if you refrigerate it until chilled, at least 4 hours, or up to overnight. Garnish with the blackberries and serve.