Lemon Chess Pie topped with Sticky Blueberries

Tonight while the rest of North America is watching the Super Bowl, the Mister and I will be watching Downton Abbey.  What better time to have a piece of pie and a cup of tea than while watching our favorite television series. 

 

Presenting What's Under the Cake Dome Sunday # 46: 

Lemon Chess Pie Topped with Sticky Blueberries

There are many stories of how chess pie became known as "Chess Pie."  No one actually knows the real reason how it came to be know by this name, but my favorite story about it is that someone was complimenting the pie baker on her delicious pie and her reply was, "Oh darlin'!  It's just pie!"  Now say that with a thick southern drawl and it sounds like "It's 'chess pie."

Chess pie comes in a variety of ways but the bottom line is, they are simple ingredients, mix up easily and are full of flavor. 

At Christmastime I made a Cranberry Chess Pie and it was one of our favorites.  Today's pie is much the same, but with Lemons (I used Meyer Lemons) and an interesting topping of Sticky Blueberries.

 

Lemon Chess Pie Topped with Sticky Blueberries

 

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked single-crust pie shell
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (112 grams) unsalted butter
• Just a pinch of kosher salt
• 2 Meyer lemons, for zesting and juice (if using large lemons then 1 lemon should be enough)
• 2 Tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 recipe of Sticky Blueberries (recipe can be found after pie directions)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius)
2. Place the pie shell on a baking sheet and brush the rim with a pie wash of equal parts milk and cream (I find about 1 tablespoon milk and 1 tablespoon cream is plenty for one pie).  Set pie shell aside.
3. Combine the sugar, butter and salt in the bowl of your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Zest the lemon over the ingredients in the bowl. Set the lemon aside to juice later. (NOTE:  because I used Meyer lemons and they were small, I zested 1 1/2 lemons and used the juice of 2 Meyer lemons.  If you are using large lemons then one lemon should be sufficient.)  Cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 or 3 minutes).  Add the cornmeal and flour and continue to mix on Medium until the ingredients are just combined.  Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the side and bottom of the bowl after each addition.
4. With the mixer on Low, slowly pour in the milk.  Add the lemon juice and mix until just combined. 
5. Scrape down the side and bottom of the bowl and incorporate any unmixed ingredients, should there be any.  Pour the batter into the pie shell and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, rotating 180 degrees every 20 minutes, until a dark golden brown crust forms on top and the filling is set.  Once cool, top with Sticky Blueberries.

STICKY BLUEBERRIES

(makes enough sticky blueberries to top one pie)

 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups blueberries

Directions:

1. Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir until combined.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally
3. Place the blueberries in a colander set over a large bowl.
4. Pour the hot syrup over the berries.  Shake the colander to make sure all the berries are covered.  The leftover syrup that has drained through may be reheated and used once more.
5. Let the berries cool until they are comfortable to touch, then pile them on top of the pie.  The berries get stickier as the syrup cools, so if your berries roll off the pie, wait a few minutes and try again.

Recipe adapted from The Hoosier Mama Book of Pie, by Paula Haney

Until next time,

 

Cheers!

 

 

Jennifer 

 

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