This Southern pie boasts a buttery crust and a creamy, decadent filling.
Classic Chess Pie
Serves: 1 (9-inch) pie
Ingredients
- All-Butter Pie Dough (recipe follows)
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3⁄4 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1⁄4 cup whole milk, room temperature
Instructions
- Position oven rack in bottom third of oven. Preheat oven to 400°.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll All-Butter Pie Dough into a 13-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, pressing into bottom and up sides. Trim excess dough to 1⁄2 inch beyond edge of pan, if necessary. Fold edges under, and crimp as desired. Lightly prick bottom of dough with a fork. Freeze for 15 minutes.
- Top dough with a piece of parchment paper, letting ends extend over edges of pan. Add pie weights, dried beans, or rice.
- Bake until edges are just dry, 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully remove paper and weights. Bake until bottom is dry and set, 5 to 10 minutes more. (Crust may puff up some, but this is normal.) Let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk in eggs, melted butter, and extracts until well combined. Slowly add milk, whisking until just combined. Pour into prepared crust.
- Bake until edges are set and puffed but center still has a slight jiggle and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 200°, 55 minutes to 1 hour and 5 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
All-Butter Pie Dough
Serves: 1 (9-inch) crust
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⁄2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
- 1⁄4 cup ice water, plus more as needed
Instructions
- In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse flour and salt until combined. Add cold butter; pulse until mixture is crumbly and butter is in pea-size pieces. With processor running, add 1⁄4 cup ice water in a slow, steady stream just until dough comes together. (Mixture may appear crumbly. It should be moist and hold together when pinched.) Add additional 1 tablespoon ice water only if needed.
- Turn out dough, and shape into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
