Perhaps this pie is really just a vehicle for the crusty bits of pie dough brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with sugar- the best part really of any pie that is made with a butter and flour crust. I love eating a turnover of the leftover scraps filled with jam- baked alongside the show-stopper pie. Little treats to be nibbled out of hand just like the ones Val made to keep us from asking for a slice before she was ready to serve her masterpiece. That's exactly what I had in mind when I cut out the leaf shapes, brushed them with egg and doused them with a ridiculous amount of crunchy turbinado sugar- baked until crisp- so easy to pop into your mouth until there are barely enough left to garnish the pie.
The filling of the pie is not quite a custard and is definitely not a fruit filling but the best of both worlds- a little bit creamy with a hint of lemon and a slight toothsome crunch over the top from the cornmeal.
The best part is that it is also gluten-free- while the dough can be a bit challenging to work with- keep it cold and refrigerate it while working on other parts of the pie and you should have success.
Lemon Chess Pie
(serves 8)
Ingredients
Gluten Free Pie Crust:
1 1/3 cups King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour, plus extra for rolling out
1/3 cup almond meal (flour)
2 teaspoons sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cubed
1/4-1/3 cup cold water
egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water.
turbinado sugar (approx 1/4 cup)
Filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest and juice from 1/2 lemon
Pie Decorations/Toppings (see recipes below):
Candied Lemon Peel
Whipped Cream
To make Pie Crust:
Add flour, almond meal, sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture looks like small peas. With the motor running, slowly add water until mixture just comes together. Remove dough from processor and pat into 2 flat discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling out. Alternatively, refrigerate overnight or freeze until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out one disc on a well floured board into approximately 11 inches round. Gently place into a 9 inch pie dish and crimp edges. Place back into refrigerator until filling is ready.
To make Filling:
Cream butter, sugar and cornmeal in a large bowl. Add eggs, vanilla and zest and lemon juice. Beat well. Pour into prepared pie shell. Place pie on a parchment lined baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes until center barely jiggles and is just about set. Remove from oven and allow to set for an hour or so before decorating and serving.
While pie is baking, make decorations out of the remaining disc of pie dough:
Remove disc from refrigerator and roll out on a well floured board to approx 1/8 inch thick ness. Using cookie cutters or a knife, cut out shapes and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush pie dough pieces with egg wash and sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until golden along the edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Candied Lemon Slices (from Martha Stewart)
1 large lemon
1 cup sugar
Make an ice water bath and set aside. Slice lemon into at least 12 very thin slices. Remove all seeds and discard ends.
Bring a medium sauce pan of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add lemon slices, stir until softened, about 1 minute. Drain and immediately plunge slices into ice water bath. Drain after one minute or so.
In a medium sized skillet, bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil, swirling to dissolve sugar. When liquid is clear and bubbling, reduce heat to medium low. Add lemon slices arranged in one layer. Simmer (do not boil) until rinds are translucent, about 1 hour.
Transfer lemon slices to a baking sheet lined with parchment. Let stand until ready to serve- garnish pie. Lemon slices can be placed in an airtight container for up to one day.
Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream (cold)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whip with stand mixer, hand mixer or whisk by hand until soft/slightly stiff peaks form. Scrape into a container with a cover and refrigerate until ready to serve- garnish pie.
To garnish pie:
Dollop eight small scoops of whipped cream along outer edge of pie. Place lemon wheels over whipped cream dollops. Decorate the pie with the pie crust cut-outs. Serve immediately.
