COOKING WITH TWINKLE VAN WINKLE

A SLICE OF HOOSIER GOODNESS

Lemon Chess Pie

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TWINKLE VANWINKLE

RECIPE COURTESY OF PAULA HANEY FROM THE HOOSIER MAMA BOOK OF PIE

Pie is like a kiss on the cheek after a good meal. A slice shared between friends with a hot cup of coffee. A sliver snuck in the silence of midnight. The symbol of love shown by those who prepared our meal, and afterwards declared “Keep your fork, there’s pie!”

—Heather Tallman

This chess pie recipe speaks to my Southern heart. A staple at all our family gatherings throughout my life, Hoosier Mama’s recipe is a sweet reminder of my grandmother’s holiday table and the love that she cooked into every dessert. The combination of the fresh berries and the custard filling are a match made in heaven.

—Twinkle VanWinkle

All-Butter Pie Dough

Makes 2 single-crust piecrusts

14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter, divided 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar ½ cup cold water 2¼ cups all-purpose flour 2¼ teaspoons kosher salt ½ tablespoon granulated sugar

Cut the butter into ½ -inch cubes. Freeze 5 tablespoons for 20 minutes or overnight; chill the remaining 9 tablespoons (1⅛ sticks) in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Stir the red wine vinegar into the cold water and set aside.

Combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times to combine.

Add the chilled butter and mix for 25 to 30 seconds, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add the frozen butter and pulse 15 to 20 times, until the butter is in pea-sized pieces.

Add 6 tablespoons of the vinegar water and pulse 6 times. The dough should start to look crumbly. Test the dough by squeezing a small amount in the palm of your hand. If it easily holds together, it is done. If not, add ½ tablespoon of the vinegar water and pulse 3 more times. Repeat this process as needed until the dough holds together.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead together until smooth; dough should never come together in the food processor.

Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and roll each into a ball. Flatten the balls slightly and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator until ready to use, at least 20 minutes but preferably overnight.

Napkin Fold for Pie Dough

Grab the edge of the pie dough between the thumb and index finger of your right hand. Be careful not to pull the dough up out of the pie tin as you work.

Gently fold a ½- to 1-inch section of dough over so it points towards the center of the pie shell. Place your left thumb on top of the first fold.

Grab a second ½- to 1-inch piece of pie dough between your thumb and index finger, next to the first fold, and gently gold it over like the first piece. Repeat this process all the way around the pie. The more folds you make, the rounder your pie shell will be, but large folds look appealingly rustic.

When you are finished with the folds, tap the pie tin against the counter several times. If the dough falls down into the tin, or unfolds and falls off the rim, unfold that section of dough and make adjustments. If the pie shell holds its shape, gently press the folds down onto the rim of the pie tin.

Place the finished napkin-fold pie shell in the refrigerator to rest for at least 20 minutes before use. Well-rested shells hold their shape the best.

Lemon Chess Pie

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie

1 single-crust, napkin-fold, All-Butter Pie Dough shell Pie wash (equal parts of whole milk and cream) 1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 stick unsalted butter Pinch kosher salt 1 lemon, for zesting 2 tablespoons cornmeal 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 4 large eggs ¼ cup whole milk ¼ fresh lemon juice 1 recipe Sticky Blueberries (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place pie shell on a baking sheet and brush the rim with pie wash. Set aside.

Combine the sugar, butter and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Zest the lemon over the ingredients in the bowl; set lemon aside to juice later. Cream together on medium until light and fluffy, 2 to 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.

With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the milk. Add the lemon juice and mix until just combined. Don’t be alarmed if the batter curdles when the lemon juice is added. Finished batter will be slightly lumpy.

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and incorporate any unmixed butter. Pour the batter into the pie shell and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, rotating 180° 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 to top 1 pie

1½ cups granulated sugar 1½ cups water 2 cups blueberries

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir until combined.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

While the sugar and water heat, sort the blueberries. Discard any bits of leaves, stems or shriveled berries.

Place the blueberries in a colander set over a large bowl.

Pour the hot syrup over the berries. Shake the colander to make sure all the berries are covered. The leftover syrup may be reheated and used once more.

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.

Twinkle VanWinkle has more than 22 years of professional cooking under her apron strings, feeding thousands of friends, family and other folks. She baked apple pies for the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and has appeared on Food Network’s “The Best Of…” Along with her role as national lifestyle producer for LIN Media, she is a mother, urban gardener, chef and musician. Find out more on TwinkleVanWinkle.com.