A close (and friendly) relative of the chess pie – and a good buttermilk pie for that matter – the Kentucky Transparent Pie is a real deal classic from my home state. Rumor has it that George Clooney has a Transparent Pie delivered to his movie sets, which I like to believe is true. If you happen to hail from the Hoosier state, Kentucky Transparent Pie also is VERY much like a good sugar cream pie. But to me, this pie takes the cake – it’s wins every time. Read on and I’ll tell you why, or just leap ahead and snag the recipe. You’re going to love this one, I just know it.
If you like the looks of my Ultimate Kentucky Transparent Pie, you might also want to check out our Beachy Peach Pie, our sparkling Lemon Meringue Chess Pie or our Creamy Pecan Icebox Pie.
Why we love Kentucky Transparent Pie
I love any recipe that comes with the added charm of having a story tucked inside – a little slice of history, if you will (see below). But I love THIS Transparent Pie because it’s got my own little stamp on it. It’s got salted browned butter, which literally makes it’s SO much better than the original version, without requiring you to purchase any additional or different ingredients.
We’re just wielding the butter differently, and this pie is all the better for that choice.
what does transparent pie taste like?
Transparent pie tastes like a sweet and silky dream of a thing – it’s like a vanilla pudding/custard resting in the flakiest pie crust – which is to say, it tastes like home, and comfort, and scratch-made goodness. It’s not too much of any one thing and it’s a really simple, humble pie, all told. Originating in the late 1800’s in Northern Kentucky, this pie was born from the need to create something with very little (a hallmark of Appalachian cooking) and that would cost pennies to make.
Alas, this simple-yet-mighty confection came to be. And we’re all the better for it.
Okay, but why THIS Kentucky Transparent Pie?
“To die for” was the consistent comment I received when testing this recipe on neighbors and family, and we have the special and intentional combination of ingredients to thank for that. My version uses salted butter – worth noting here – which really helps give the super sweet pie a nice balance and greater depth of flavor (trust me).
It works more effectively than simply adding a little sugar does. That said, if you’d prefer to use unsalted butter, simply add ½ teaspoon salt to the pastry and to the filling as well.
Interested in checking out some other recipes from the Bluegrass state? I’ve got you.
For a really tasty stew that will keep you full and happy throughout all the cold months (and probably them some, to be honest), try my burgoo. It’s just really, really delicious. In that same vein, I’ve got a take on a “tater soup,” or, a classic Appalachian style potato soup that will also warm all your bones.
This Kentucky Butter Cake is ridiculous, and so are these scratch-made biscuits and gravy.
Butter beans are a big time classic in the Bluegrass State (really any cooked-to-death beans are, just in general), and they happen to be one of my favorite side dishes, too. As are my honey-vanilla pickled peaches.
kentucky transparent pie ingredient notes
The flour
We’ll use ole’ reliable with this one – just regular all purpose flour. This recipe only takes a very small amount of flour, as we just need it to hold things together for us – this isn’t a cake. It’s a creamy, luscious pie and the flour serves as like a very undetectable backbone for the whole operation.
The Butter
This is where I swerve a little bit. I use salted butter is just about every bake I make (see these fantastic chocolate chunk cookies and this cream cheese stuffed French toast breakfast casserole for further evidence of this truth). We’ll also be browning the butter for this pie, to lend that unmistakably nutty, delicious toasty undertone we all know and love.
Kentucky Transparent Pie, to me, is in danger of being altogether too sweet. It really needs a good bit of salty undertones running all throughout – in both the flaky crust and the creamy filling. Trust me here – the salted butter will perfectly salt the pie in the very best way. It will just taste like a deeper, more interesting thing than a total sugar smack. I suggest using a good quality, grass-fed Irish salted butter. This costs more, but the butter is the star of this pie, so it’s worth it in this case.
The Vanilla
This pie demands that we go hard with the vanilla. So, I use a vanilla bean paste, which subtly speckles the filling and offers up its unique sweetness perfectly, in every bite.
The Cream
A rich and dreamy heavy cream gives Kentucky Transparent Pie it’s signature velvety, creamy texture. I’ve made this pie with buttermilk, instead of the heavy cream, and it’s also really great. But then it’d be a buttermilk pie, wouldn’t it? Suppose so.
The Ice Water
Ice water is something that is crucial to the making of a great flaky pie crust. It will moisten the shaggy flour and butter mixture, allowing a nice dough to form. The ice keeps the water super cold, which is essential in creating a truly great crust. Warmth is the enemy of a good crust, so we do what we can to ward that off.
The Eggs
We will use four large eggs to create the custard-like filling for this pie.
The Sugars
This Kentucky Transparent Pie uses both granulated sugar and a light brown sugar to achieve the classic lightly gilded interior. The molasses in the brown sugar takes this pie to the South for sure, but the fact that we use the white sugar as well really does keep this pie from tasting too deep and too brown sugary, if that makes sense.
Ways to Change Up this kentucky transparent pie
- As I mentioned above, you can use buttermilk in place of the cream and change the flavor a bit. The acidic tang of buttermilk is great with all the sugar (it punches back against it), and it also has a much lighter mouthfeel, giving the pie a lighter, almost flan-like consistency.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract for a delicious, nutty twist.
- You can skip a bunch of steps and save a lot of time by using a store-bought ready made pie crust. No problem there.
how we make our kentucky transparent pie: Directions
- To make the pastry, put the flour and sugar in the bowl of a food processor (you can also do this by hand in a large mixing bowl). Pulse/process a few times to mix. Add the butter and pulse to mix and combine everything, creating a shaggy dough. Add three tablespoons of ice water and pulse again to help moisten the dough.
- Transfer to a floured work surface and work gently until you have a cohesive dough. Knead/pat the dough into a disc . Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the 8 tablespoons of salted butter into a small pan over medium heat. Allow it to fully melt and then continue simmering until it’s a light golden brown. You’ll know your brown butter is ready when it’s gone quiet on you. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars, vanilla bean paste (or extract), flour, cream, and the browned butter until nice and smooth. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the middle position.
- When your pastry has chilled for 30 minutes, remove it from the fridge and, working on a floured surface, roll it out until it’s about 2 inches larger than your pie plate. Put the crust in your plate and trim the edges as needed. Crimp them as you like. Put the pie plate into a baking sheet. Cover the crust with foil and then add pie weights (dried beans or rice work great here, too). Bake for 8 minutes.
- Remove the foil and weights and bake for 3 more minutes.
- Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust and bake for 35 to 50 minutes, or until set. You can use a crust shield for the first 20 minutes if you like (I don’t have one). After about 40 minutes, I stay close by to keep an eye on the pie’s surface. It will literally brulee for you toward the end, getting very browned in a hurry. So, make sure to take it out of the oven before that burns.
- Allow the pie to cool before slicing and serving. A big dollop of whipped cream is recommended, though not necessary. Enjoy.
The Ultimate Kentucky Transparent Pie
Creamy and smooth, balanced with just the right amount of salty browned butter and luscious vanilla bean, and sporting a perfect flaky all-butter crust, this is my ultimate Kentucky Transparent Pie and it’s a beloved classic for good reason. My version uses salted butter – worth noting here – which really helps give the super sweet pie a nice balance and greater depth of flavor (trust me). It works more effectively than simply adding a little salt does. That said, if you’d prefer to use unsalted butter, simply add ½ teaspoon salt to the pastry and to the filling as well.
- Yield: makes one 9-inch pie 1x
Ingredients
For the Pastry
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons salted butter, cut into small pieces (one stick)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
For the Filing
- 8 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, minimum (vanilla extract is also great)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
Serving Suggestion: big dollops of whipped cream or powdered sugar
Instructions
- To make the pastry, put the flour and sugar in the bowl of a food processor (you can also do this by hand in a large mixing bowl). Pulse/process a few times to mix. Add the butter and pulse to mix and combine everything, creating a shaggy dough. Add three tablespoons of ice water and pulse again to help moisten the dough.
- Transfer to a floured work surface and work gently until you have a cohesive dough. Knead/pat the dough into a disc. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the 8 tablespoons of salted butter into a small pan over medium heat. Allow it to fully melt and then continue simmering until it’s a light golden brown, a few more minutes. You’ll know your brown butter is ready when it’s gone quiet on you. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars, vanilla bean paste (or extract), flour, cream, and the browned butter until nice and smooth. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the middle position.
- When your pastry has chilled for 30 minutes, remove it from the fridge and, working on a floured surface, roll it out until it’s about 2 inches larger than your pie plate. Put the crust in your plate and trim the edges as needed (scissors are great for this). Crimp them as you like. Put the pie plate into a baking sheet. Cover the crust with foil and then add pie weights (dried beans or rice work great here, too). Bake for 8 minutes.
- Remove the foil and weights and bake for 3 more minutes.
- Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust and bake for 35 to 50 minutes, or until set. You can use a crust shield for the first 20 minutes if you like (I don’t have one). After about 40 minutes, I stay close by to keep an eye on the pie’s surface. It will literally brulee for you toward the end, getting very browned in a hurry. So, make sure to take it out of the oven before that burns.
- Allow the pie to cool before slicing and serving. A big dollop of whipped cream is recommended, though not necessary. Enjoy.
