Lemon Chess Pie

Lemon chess pie is an old-fashioned southern favorite...which is quite new to me. We have a coffee shoppe in our town...located at our local airport that draws people from far and wide...mostly for their delicious pies. It was here that I first sampled lemon chess pie...with blackberry sauce and whipped cream. It was simply delicious...and so I decided to replicate it in my test kitchen. My recipe is a combination of several...but quite like the one found in the Company's Coming Pie cookbook by Jean Parè.


Lemon Chess Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell (use your favorite pastry recipe or purchase frozen piecrust)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 Tblsp. flour  (or 1 T flour and 1 T cornmeal)
• 5 large eggs
• freshly grated zest of one lemon
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Place pie crust in 9-inch pie plate...and flute edges.
3. Combine sugar and flour in mixing bowl.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating at medium speed with mixer until well blended.
5. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and melted butter. Mix well.
6. Pour filling into the prepared pie crust.
7. Bake on lower rack of oven for 45 minutes at 325°F...or until puffed and golden brown in colour.
8. When cool...cut and serve each wedge with a dollop of whipped cream...and a sauce of fresh raspberries or blackberries.

Since the raspberries are in season at the moment...and readily available in the garden...I simply mashed the fresh berries, added sugar to taste...and drizzled a little over each piece of pie.
*If a thicker sauce is preferred...combine 1 1/2 cups mashed berries with 1/2 cup sugar. Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch dissolved in 1 1/2 Tbsp. cold water...and cook in microwave until thickened (about 3 minutes on high)...stirring every minute. Cool and chill before using.