Texas Twister Buttermilk Pie

Directions

1. Make the sugared pepper rings: bring 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a simmer, then turn off the heat. Core and seed the fresnos, core and seed 3 of the jalapenos. Slice them into thin rings and put them in the simple syrup. Let them soak for a half hour. Strain them out - SAVE THE SYRUP! shake them pretty dry, then gently toss them in the superfine sugar. Spread them out on a sheet pan covered with parchment to dry for several hours or over night. Put the syrup in the fridge.
2. Make the pie crust: cut half the butter up and put it in the freezer for about a half hour. Put 1 cup plus 2 tbs flour in your food processor, add the salt, chili powder and butter. Pulse a few times to blend. Add 1 tbs of your spicy simple syrup and pulse, then add ice water 1 tbs at a time and pulse until the dough just comes together. Pat the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and into the fridge for a half hour.
3. Heat the oven to 350. Flour your rolling surface and roll the dough out to fit a standard 10" pie plate. Lay the crust into the pie plate and trim the edges (Amanda and Merrill have a video the shows rolling and trimming here on Food52) then pierce it a few times with a fork. Lay a sheet of parchment across and add pie weights or rice and beans. Put it on a cookie sheet (this makes moving it in and out of the oven a LOT easier plus the pie is a buttery sucker and will drip a little) and bake for 10 minutes, then remove the weights and bake 5 more minutes.
4. Meanwhile make the filling. Melt the rest of the butter, and finely mince the other jalapeno - no seeds please! Beat the buttermilk, eggs, 1 tbs flour and remaining cup of sugar. Add 1 teaspoon of the minced jalapeno, the melted butter, and lime juice and zest and mix.
5. Now, pour the mixture into your pie crust, and use a pastry brush to get the butter remnants from the pan you melted it in and brush the edges of the crust. Bake until the custard is set - 30-35 minutes. Cool completely, adorn with your sugared pepper rings, and enjoy! Sharing with neighbors is always nice ....