While surfing the web a few months ago I came across a recipe for Chess Pie on Homesick Texan and I tucked it away to make some day. I’ve always heard about it when I’ve been travelling through the South, but I’d never been fortunate enough to try one. Well, with all of these lemons laying around my apartment these days, I decided to put one to good use and give it a try.
The lemony custardy filling is creamy smooth and made from simple ingredients. I used my own pie crust recipe (passed down from my great grandmother), because it works for me and I love it.
For the Pie Crust:
1 cup Flour
1/2 cup Shortening
1/2 pinch of Salt
3-4 tablespoons of Cold Water
For the Filling:
3 Eggs
1 stick of Butter
1 cup of Sugar
1 tablespoon of Yellow Corn Meal
1 teaspoon of Vanilla
The juice from 1 and 1/2 Lemons (about 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon of Lemon Zest
Sift flour and salt together.
Using two knifes, or a pastry cutter, cut the shortening into the flour until they crumble and resemble small peas.
Stir in the cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time until it can just stick together.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out with a floured rolling pin into a circle large enough to fill a 9″ pie plate.
Move the dough to the pie plate and lightly press it into the form. Pinch the edges to give a scalloped look.
Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan. Mix the sugar in with the butter.
