This tasty orange buttermilk pie will jazz up your day. And isn’t it pretty?

By SHYANNE GRIFFIN

If you enjoy baking, this beautiful orange buttermilk pie should be on your to-make list.

There are a few steps to whipping this up, but boy, it will ‘wow’ your guests.

WHAT’S IN IT

· 1 pre-baked shortcut pie crust, cooled (or a store-bought pie crust)

· 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

· 1 cup granulated sugar

· 2 large eggs, separated

· 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

· 1 teaspoon grated orange zest

· 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

· ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

· 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

· 1 recipe of fresh whipped cream

· Orange segments for garnish

HOW TO MAKE IT

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the baked pie shell on a baking sheet.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer), cream butter and sugar for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Add egg yolks and mix well to combine. Add flour, orange zest, orange juice and salt and mix until well blended.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the buttermilk, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

The mixture will look curdled at this point, but don’t worry.

If using a stand mixer, transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.

In a clean bowl, using the whisk attachment (or in a medium mixing bowl, using clean beaters), beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Give the buttermilk mixture a quick stir to just make sure it is well blended, then add a small amount of the egg whites and fold in. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites until completely incorporated.

Pour the filling into the baked pie crust. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the filling is golden and puffed up at the edges and the center no longer looks wet and wobbles slightly; it will continue to set as it cools.

Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 2 to 3 hours.

Garnish with segments of orange, if you’d like.

Serve at room temperature or chilled with whipped cream.

The pie can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

SHORTCUT PIE CRUST

In medium bowl, whisk 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup packed brown sugar and ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt.

Slowly drizzle in 11 tablespoons of melted buttered and stir with a fork until the mixture looks evenly moist and crumbly. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a buttered 9-inch pie pan.

You can crimp the edges with a fork or leave them as is.

Put the crust in the freezer for about 15 minutes to set.

If the recipe calls for pre-baked pie crust, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and cook for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let completely cool before filling.

WHIPPED CREAM

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), whip 2 cups of heavy cream on medium speed until it starts to thicken.

Add ¼ cup of confectioners’ sugar and beat until the cream holds nice soft peaks.