Lemon Chess Pie
This old fashioned lemon pie features big citrus flavor and a classic crackled-top crust from the cornmeal.
Equipment
- 1 pie dish
- 1 microplane (for zesting the lemons)
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked pie crust (I use a half recipe of Never Fail Pie Crust)
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¼ cup milk
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (yellow part only)
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Place 1 unbaked pie crust into a 9-inch or 9½-inch pie plate and crimp the edges. Dock the crust in the bottom and the sides with a fork (prick it every few inches all over).
- Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Carefully lift out the parchment and weights, then bake for 5 more minutes, until the bottom looks dry but not browned.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- While the crust bakes, whisk 4 eggs well. Add ¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup milk, ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and whisk well to combine.
- Whisk in the 2 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon fine yellow cornmeal, 1 tablespoon flour, and ¼ teaspoon salt until smooth.
- Pour the filling into the warm crust. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, first checking at 35 minutes. The top should be a delicate golden brown, and the center should be just barely set, with a slight jiggle. If the crust edges brown too quickly, cover them with a pie shield or strips of foil.
- Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. The filling will finish setting as it cools.
Notes
Pie dish: I prefer using a glass pie dish for pies. It heats more evenly than metal and you can see when the bottom crust is nicely brown. Mine is a 9.5--inch Pyrex dish. A 9-inch pie dish works well for this recipe too.
Serving: a light dusting of powdered sugar is really pretty on top. I like a dollop of whipped cream as well.
Storage: cool the pie completely at room temperature. The pie can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Cover lightly with plastic wrap.
Nutrition
Calories: 386kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 196mgPotassium: 81mgFiber: 1gSugar: 51gVitamin A: 305IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg
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