Surprisingly Easy Southern Buttermilk Chess Pie

Gather the ingredients. ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska Partially bake the pie crust. If using a packaged pie pastry or frozen pie shell, check the package directions for time and temperature. If you are using a homemade pie crust recipe or there are no instructions to follow, heat the oven to 450 F (230 C/Gas 8). ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska Line the pie shell with parchment paper or foil and fill about two-thirds full with pie weights and/or dried beans. ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska Bake for 12 minutes. ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska Reduce the oven temperature to 400 F (200 C/Gas 6), remove the pie crust from the oven, and carefully remove the pie weights and foil or paper. ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska Return to the oven for 3 minutes, or just until it begins to show some color. Remove the pie to a rack and reduce the oven temperature to 350 F (180 C/Gas 4). ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska In a bowl, combine the sugar, cornmeal, flour, and salt. Blend well. ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend well. ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska Pour the filling into the par-baked crust. ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska Reduce the heat to 325 F (165 C/Gas 3) and bake for about 25 minutes longer, or until the pie filling is set. It should be fairly firm in the center with little or no jiggle. ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska Remove to a rack to cool. Chill before serving. ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska Serve with freshly whipped cream or frozen thawed whipped topping. Sprinkle with shreds of lemon zest, if desired. ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska Enjoy! ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska