Silky Buttermilk Pie with Blueberries

If you’re aiming for silky, creamy desserts, you generally need heaps of fat. Cream and custard pies, for example, often call for whole milk, several tablespoons of butter, four to five eggs, even heavy cream.

But it is possible to get the creamy feel without all the fat. Cream and custard pies basically have a pudding as their base, and there are plenty of ways to replicate that without indulging too much.

Low-fat milk and cornstarch can be used to make lighter puddings. And whole milk, while not quite as virtuous, goes a long way to imitating the richness of heavy cream.

In a pinch, boxed puddings, (which are cornstarch-based) usually can be prepared as either low-fat or fat-free, and make a perfectly good base for a chocolate-, coconut- or banana cream pies.

Custards, which are silky but usually less creamy than puddings, generally are made with whole milk and several whole eggs.

Very good low-fat custards can be made with 1 or 2 percent milk and a blend of whole eggs and egg whites. Fat-free custards, made with skim milk and egg whites or egg substitutes, can have good flavor, but often are slightly rubbery.

This silky buttermilk pie topped with blueberries has a creamy, golden custard that’s made with fat-free sweetened condensed milk for cream-like smoothness and nonfat buttermilk, which lends its slightly thickened texture and a rich, tangy dairy flavor.

A blend of whole eggs and egg whites give the custard its firmness.

For any pie, using fruit as a topping is a great way to avoid the fat and calories that come from either a top crust or a whipped cream topping.

Silky Buttermilk Pie with Blueberries

For the filling:

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 large eggs

1 large egg white

14-ounce can nonfat sweetened condensed milk

1 cup nonfat buttermilk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 frozen 9-inch deep-dish pie shell

For the topping:

3 cups fresh blueberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat the oven to 325 F.

To make the filling, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg white. Add the condensed milk, buttermilk, lemon juice and vanilla, whisking thoroughly. Whisk in the reserved sugar mixture.

Pour the filling into the pie shell. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the filling is set and the top is lightly golden. Transfer the pie to a rack to cool until lukewarm, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the blueberry topping, in a small saucepan over low, stir 1 cup of the blueberries until they start to become juice, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.

Increase the heat to medium and let the blueberries simmer, stirring occasionally, until they are thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cinnamon and the remaining 2 cups of blueberries. Set aside to cool until lukewarm, about 15 minutes.

Spread the blueberry mixture over the top of the pie. Serve warm, or cover with plastic wrap lightly coated with nonstick spray and refrigerate. Serves 8.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 370 calories; 74 calories from fat; 8 grams fat (3 grams saturated; 0 gram trans fats); 57 milligrams cholesterol; 66 grams carbohydrate; 9 grams protein; 1 gram fiber; 337 milligrams sodium.