Straight from the South, but finding its home in your kitchen, this Lemon Buttermilk Chess Pie is all kinds of tasty for your family. A fresh and delicious taste that is perfect for spring, you absolutely need to share a slice – especially since it’s packed with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D when you’re baking with Mirage margarine.
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Chilling Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
For the crust
- 151 g / 2/3 cup Mirage margarine
- 250 g / 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 12 g / 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 g / 1/4 tsp salt
- 60 ml / 1/4 cup ice water
For the filling
- 200 g / 1 cup granulated sugar
- 163 g / 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 40 g / 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 16 g / 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 14 g / 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 3 g / 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 large eggs
- 120 ml / 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 114 g / 1/2 cup Mirage margarine, melted
- 60 ml / 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 5 ml / 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
For the crust
1. Scoop roughly 1/2 inch (1 centimetre) pieces of Mirage margarine onto a plate lined with a piece of plastic wrap. Freeze; 15 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.
3. Using a pastry blender, or 2 knives, blend the Mirage margarine into the dry ingredients until the mixture is the texture of coarse crumbs (mixed with pea-sized pieces).
4. Using a fork, stir in the ice water 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) at a time. Gather dough into a ball and knead a couple of times. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill; 30 minutes.
5. In between 2 sheets of parchment paper, or plastic wrap, roll the dough into a 14 inch (36 centimetre) circle.
6. Ease the rolled dough into a 9 inch (23 centimetre) pie plate and flute the edges, as desired. Prick the bottom of the dough all over, with a fork, and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
For the filling
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornmeal, flour, lemon zest and salt.
2. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until smooth.
3. Whisk in the buttermilk, Mirage margarine, lemon juice and vanilla extract until fully combined.
4. Set aside while par-baking the crust.
5. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line the chilled pie crust with a piece of foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
6. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove foil and weights and return crust to oven for 4 minutes.
7. Remove crust and reduce oven temperature to 350°F (180°C).
8. Pour the filling into the crust and place in the oven; bake 30 minutes.
9. Cover edge of crust with a strip of tin foil to prevent over browning and bake until centre of filling is softly set (with a slight jiggle); 15 to 20 minutes.
10. Remove and cool pie completely on a wire rack. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Chef Notes
- 1/2 cup (240 millilitres) of whole milk combined with 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) of white vinegar may be used in place of the buttermilk.
