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A man at our table took one bite of my mother’s lemon chess pie and said it tasted like lemon bars baked in a pie crust, and he wanted to know what was in it. She told him: eggs, sugar, butter, two lemons and a spoon of cornmeal. He waited for the rest of the list, and there wasn’t any. Lemon chess pie is the bright cousin of the plain Southern chess pie, a pantry pie made from what was already in the kitchen. The filling is tart and sweet at once, smooth like a custard, and as it bakes the sugar rises and forms a thin crackly crust that shatters under the fork.
Chess pies are simple, but they have one moment that decides everything: knowing when to take the pie out. Take it out too soon and the middle runs when you cut it; leave it in too long and the filling turns grainy and cracks. The pie is done when the edges are set and puffed and the very center still wobbles a little, like gelled jam, when you nudge the pan. It finishes setting as it cools. Here is how to tell when the middle is set without overbaking it, along with my mother’s way of adding the lemon so the filling never curdles.
Why this lemon chess pie works
- A spoon of cornmeal. It helps the filling set and gives the top its thin crackly crust, the mark of a true chess pie.
- Lemon added last. Whisking the juice in slowly at the end keeps the eggs smooth and stops the filling from curdling.
- Zest and juice. The zest carries the lemon’s perfume; the juice carries its tartness. You need both.
- Melted butter. It makes the filling rich and smooth and helps the top turn golden.
- Pulled with a wobble. Taken out while the center still trembles, the pie sets creamy instead of grainy.
Ingredients
Makes one 9 inch pie, about 8 slices. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the crust
- 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought, chilled
For the filling
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300g)
- 1 tablespoon fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (113g)
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup whole milk (60ml)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (80ml, from 2 lemons)
To serve (optional)
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Use fresh lemons, never bottled juice: the whole flavor of the pie is the lemon. Fine cornmeal disappears into the filling; coarse cornmeal leaves a slight grit.
How to make lemon chess pie
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C) with a rack in the lower third. Fit the crust into a 9 inch pie plate, crimp the edge and chill it while you make the filling.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornmeal, flour and salt.
- Whisk in the melted butter until the mixture looks like wet sand.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth after each. Whisk in the milk and the lemon zest.
- Add the lemon juice last, a little at a time, whisking gently. Do not beat hard: you want a smooth filling, not a foamy one.
- Pour the filling into the chilled crust.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. After 30 minutes, lay a strip of foil or a pie shield over the crust edge if it is browning too fast.
- The pie is done when the top is golden and puffed, the edges are firm, and the center 2 inches still wobble slightly, like gelled jam, when you nudge the pan. A knife slid in halfway between edge and center should come out clean.
- Cool completely on a rack, at least 3 hours. The center sets as it cools. Chill before slicing for the cleanest cuts.
Tips that make the difference
- Roll the lemons hard on the counter under your palm before cutting them: they give much more juice.
- Zest only the yellow skin. The white pith underneath is bitter.
- Do not wait for the center to be firm in the oven. If it is firm when hot, it will be grainy when cold.
- Bake on the lower rack so the bottom crust browns and does not turn soggy.
Variations
- Plain chess pie. Leave out the lemon zest and juice, use 1/2 cup milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar, and add vanilla.
- Lime chess pie. Use fresh lime zest and juice in place of the lemon.
- Buttermilk lemon. Use buttermilk in place of the milk for an extra tang.
- Lemon bars. Bake the filling over a pressed shortbread crust in an 8 inch pan for a sliceable bar.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Serve cold or at cool room temperature.
Lemon chess pie freezes well, wrapped tightly, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Leave the whipped cream off until serving.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know when lemon chess pie is done?
The top is golden and puffed, the edges are set, and the center still wobbles slightly, like gelled jam, when you nudge the pan. It firms up as it cools.
Why is it called chess pie?
Nobody is sure. The most repeated story is that a cook, asked what kind of pie it was, answered ‘it’s just pie’, and over time it became chess pie.
Why put cornmeal in a pie?
A small amount helps the filling set and gives chess pie its thin crackly sugar top.
Why did my filling curdle?
The lemon juice was added too fast or the filling was beaten hard. Add the juice last, slowly, whisking gently.
Set it on the table without a word, let someone guess what is in it, and then tell them the list.
Lemon Chess Pie (Eggs, Sugar, Butter, Two Lemons and a Spoon of Cornmeal)
Old-fashioned Southern lemon chess pie: eggs, sugar, melted butter, fresh lemon juice and zest and a spoon of cornmeal, baked at 350 degrees until set with a thin crackly sugar top. A pantry pie with a bright tart filling.
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought, chilled
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C) with a rack in the lower third. Fit the crust into a 9 inch pie plate, crimp the edge and chill it while you make the filling.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornmeal, flour and salt.
- Whisk in the melted butter until the mixture looks like wet sand.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth after each. Whisk in the milk and the lemon zest.
- Add the lemon juice last, a little at a time, whisking gently. Do not beat hard: you want a smooth filling, not a foamy one.
- Pour the filling into the chilled crust.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. After 30 minutes, lay a strip of foil or a pie shield over the crust edge if it is browning too fast.
- The pie is done when the top is golden and puffed, the edges are firm, and the center 2 inches still wobble slightly, like gelled jam, when you nudge the pan. A knife slid in halfway between edge and center should come out clean.
- Cool completely on a rack, at least 3 hours. The center sets as it cools. Chill before slicing for the cleanest cuts.
