Buttermilk and Almond Chess Pie

Serves 8 
Prep Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes  

Ingredients 
For Crust 
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons granulated sugar 
1 teaspoon kosher salt 
½ cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into bite-sized pieces 
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or cider vinegar 
1 cup dried beans or legumes (for baking) 

For Filling 
¾ cup sugar 
¾ cup yellow cornmeal 
¼ cup light-packed brown sugar 
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 
½ teaspoon kosher salt 
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten 
⅓ cup buttermilk  
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
1 teaspoon pure almond extract 
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled 
½ cup sliced almonds, plus more for garnishing 
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting  

Directions 
For Crust

1. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse texture but butter pieces are still visible, about 10 pulses. Combine ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoon ice-cold water with lemon juice or vinegar and slowly pour in while pulsing until dough comes together, about 10 more pulses. Turn out dough onto a wide sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a 6-inch wide round. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using. 
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 
3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out dough into a 14-inch diameter round. Transfer dough to a 9-inch pie pan, allowing extra dough to hang over the edges. Press dough into bottom and sides of the pan. Crimp and pinch the dough hanging over to create the crust. Prick the dough with a fork in several places (this will allow steam to escape and prevent pie from bubbling up). Place pie pan on a sheet tray. 
4. *Line the inside of the pie crust with a sheet of wax paper overlapping the sides of the pan. Pour dried beans into the center of the wax paper with the dried beans and flatten into an even layer. Bake crust in oven until edges are lightly golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove crust and allow to cool. Carefully remove wax paper filled with beans and discard. [see note below] 
5. Turn down oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

For Filling 

1. In a large bowl whisk together sugar, cornmeal, brown sugar, flour, and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs and egg yolk, buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla and almond extracts. Whisk egg mixture into cornmeal mixture until combined. Mix in melted butter and fold in almonds. Pour batter into pre-baked pie crust and bake until top is golden brown and edges are set, and slightly firm to touch, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool pie on a wire rack completely before serving. Dust with powdered sugar and sprinkle with almonds. Serve with your choice of ice cream! 

Note
*This is a process known as blind baking: to precook the pie crust before adding a filling to ensure a thoroughly cooked crust.