Recipe today, pictures tomorrow, eatin' Thursday!

I would be amiss if I waited any longer to post this pie recipe. Tomorrow would be too late and you'd hate me all Thanksgiving weekend! What's more, your family and guests would hate me too and I couldn't stand that much hostility.

It isn't even the pie filling that I want you to try. As good as the buttermilk pie is, it's the pie crust that makes the pie so wonderful. I truly believe I could pour ketchup into the pie crust and my children and grandchild would lick their lips and proclaim my supremacy in the cooking arts!

The secret is in the lard. Yes, LARD! As much as I encourage healthy eating, my pie crusts are made from good, old-fashioned lard.

THE Pie Crust Recipe
(Be sure to read crust-making hints at the end!)

For one-crust pie:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp lard
2 tbsp cold water

For two-crust pie:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp lard
3 tbsp cold water

Combine four and salt in bowl. Blend with pastry tool or 2 knives (don't ya feel like your grandma doing that?) until mixture is balled into size of peas. Slowly mix in water with fork, then gather together with floured hands. Separate into two balls if doing two crusts. Roll out on floured pastry cloth. You should know the rest. If not, call your mother because you need more help than this blog can give you.

Now for hints:

• Use cold water so lard doesn't melt. That goes for when using shortening too.
• Add only enough water to moisten flour. Too sticky dough makes a tough crust.
• Handle dough as little as possible and only roll out pastry ONCE for tender, flaky crust!!! If it rips, just patch it with more crust. Who's gonna know?

Buttermilk Pie Filling

9 inch unbaked pie shell
3/4 stick butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
3 level tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sugar with mixer. Add flour and beaten eggs; beat well. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake 45 to 55 minutes at 350 degrees.

Doneness is the tricky part of this pie. I want the center solid, not runny. I want the crust edges not burnt. In fact, I put protection (homemade [tin foil] or store-bought) around the edges. I stick a sharp knife in the center when I think it's done. If it comes out clean, yippee, it's done. If not, five more minutes, then check again.

This is yummy pie! I'll make two buttermilk and two pumpkin pies for Thursday and hope to have at least one leftover piece of both that I can sit down and eat in peace when the children have gone!