Lemon Chess Pie
Here’s a down-home Southern favorite dressed up in its Sunday best, lemon-laced chess pie, served complete with strawberry puree, fanned strawberries, and whipped cream.
Ingredients
- Granulated Sugar - 2 Cups
Instructions
Lemon Chess Pie
Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, and cornmeal and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Add the vanilla, vinegar, and lemon juice and whisk the mixture while gradually adding the butter. Pour the mixture into the pie shell, filling it as full as possible. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and set. Let cool.
To make the strawberry puree: In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries and simple syrup and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Puree the mixture in a blender or food processor and strain through a fine-meshed sieve.
To prepare the garnishes: In a deep bowl, whip the cream until foamy. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of the confectioner’s sugar and continue beating until the cream stands in firm peaks. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Make lengthwise slices through the strawberries up to the green tops, leaving the slices attached at the tops.
To serve: Cut the pie into eight wedges. Place a wedge on each dessert plate. Ladle strawberry puree around the tips of the slices. Dust confectioner’s sugar over the plates and the pie wedges. Pipe a small mound of whipped cream beside each wedge. Fan the strawberries and place in the whipped cream. Garnish with mint sprigs.
Simple Syrup Makes about 3 cups
In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and water and cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches a full boil, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool, and store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
