Some recipes feed the people sitting at the table. Others keep a place for someone who is no longer there.
In The Last Booth at the Bluebonnet, Ellen Whitaker’s buttermilk pie remains on the diner menu after her death, marked only with her initials: E.W. For Cal, every slice carries a memory. For Jo, keeping the pie becomes an act of respect, not competition.
This pie should feel exactly like the Bluebonnet itself: familiar, unfussy, gently sweet, and worth coming back for.
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup full-fat buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus a little extra for the top
- ¼ teaspoon salt
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Fit the crust into a 9-inch pie plate, crimp the edge, and refrigerate it while you prepare the filling.
- Beat the softened butter and sugar until creamy and well combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
- Mix in the flour until smooth.
- Add the buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and freshly grated nutmeg. Mix on low until evenly combined. The filling may look slightly separated; that is normal.
- Pour the filling into the chilled crust and grate the faintest dusting of fresh nutmeg over the top.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still has a gentle wobble. Shield the crust with foil if it browns too quickly.
- Cool completely, then refrigerate for at least two hours before slicing.
At the Bluebonnet
Serve it chilled or at room temperature, plain or with a small spoonful of softly whipped cream. No towering garnish. No fruit confetti. This is diner pie, and it knows who it is.
Makes: One 9-inch pie, about 8 slices.
Cook Along with Lark Mesa
The Last Booth at the Bluebonnet
This kitchen story is paired with Book 7 in the Lark Mesa Romance series. Meet the people, places, and small-town moments behind the recipe.
Explore the Lark Mesa books →