Frugal Eggy Pies

My mom never made buttermilk pie when I was growing up. She only made it once for my step-dad who grew up on them. I've had fond memories of them since. Actually, I think I've only had it that once. I kicked around the idea of making one for a while. The recipes I found on them were very similar and simple. All I needed was crust (because I'm lazy) and buttermilk. So abaking I went.

It tastes like I remember. Warm, custardy, sweet yet not too sweet, with a slight tang. It reheats pretty well and really hit the spot.

I got my recipe here, from a tried and true recipe that happens to be the author's signature dessert. I opted to make a mix of her sweet and not so sweet recipe. I used the full 1 1/2 buttermilk, but only 3 eggs. It turned out just like I wanted, only I think I'm going to find out how to get a firmer custard next time. Anyone know how?

While I was at it, I threw in my first quiche. I found a basic recipe online, modified it, and added the tasty additions of bacon, feta, white cheddar, and shredded romano among several spices. It also turned out very well. As with the pie, I'd like a firmer custard next time, but this was great.



Also, I used powdered milk in baking for the first time. I don't drink it very often or eat cereal on a regular basis, so there's always some left over that just goes bad if I don't cook. Since milk is expensive, I went out and bought the largest box of powdered milk I could find. I couldn't tell any difference in the quiche, so it's a good first start. I look forward to all the money I'll save on milk in the future.

You may have also noticed that I'm on egg overload. I never used to buy them. I always had to make last minute runs to the store for eggs because I thought I had little use for them. Even more expensive at at $.13 a pop are cheap as anything. I'm trying to cook more and spend less for my financial goals. Of course, the next step would be to actually make the crust instead of wasting money on them. Crust skills are a imperative for any baker, I believe, so I should probably learn that anyway. There will always be a next time.