Sweet Tea Pie

By exdircomp

Ingredients

• Crust
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1-1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• Filling
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 8 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup strong steeped orange pekoe tea, cooled (I used Luzianne) use 4 tea bags
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make crust: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until combined. Add flour, mix until dough forms a ball. Pat dough into 9-inch pie pan. Chill until ready for use, meanwhile preparing the filling.

To prepare filling: Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium til light. Add yolks one at a time, beating on low after each addition. Slowly add the tea, zest and lemon juice. Scrape down bowl. Add flour, cornmeal, salt and mix well. Pour into crust and bake for 50 to 55 minutes until set. Cool completely on a wire rack, and then chill for 2 hours in refrigerator. Yields one 9-inch pie.

When serving, garnish with candied lemon peel, sweetened whip cream and fresh mint.

Candied Lemon Peel Garnish

To candy lemon peel, boil strips of lemon peel in 1/2 cup light corn syrup combined with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 cup water until translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from syrup and rinse in warm water. Toss in granulated sugar and dry on waxed paper.