weekly bake #4: pomegranate chess pie

as i mentioned, i absolutely adore my friends and am thankful that they are a part of my life every single day. last week’s post mentioned my college crew; this week’s post revolves around the crew i met when i moved to nyc… or as we prefer to call ourselves, the “brooklyn family.” we love each other so much that faces are lovingly touched and squeezes last a little too long, as if we were never going to see each other again, every time we part ways. most of us spend thanksgiving together every year, (this year we also welcomed the utterly amazing “trapped in the closet”) and for this wonderful occasion i made the pie below.

weekly bake #4: pomegranate chess pie (slightly adapted version of southern living’s recipe)
ingredients: 1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts (or your favorite homemade crust, i use baked‘s recipe), 2 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons cornmeal, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted, 1/4 cup milk, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. 4 large eggs, lightly beaten, one pomegranate.
time: an hour and a half (i work slow)
cost: around $20 (less if you already have most of these ingredients though of course)
soundtrack: marc maron’s wtf podcast with carrie brownstein
the plan:
1. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pieplate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp.
2. Line pastry with aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
3. Bake at 425° for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove weights and foil; bake 2 more minutes or until golden. Cool.
4. Stir together sugar and next 7 ingredients until blended. Add eggs, stirring well. Pour into piecrust.
5. Bake at 350° for 50 to 55 minutes, shielding edges with aluminum foil after 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool completely on a wire rack.
6. Poke holes into the top of the pie using a bamboo skewer. Then, juice a pomegranate and pour the juice over the top of the pie. (Apparently there are rules for juicing a pom — as seen at right, I did not follow them but it still turned out OK.) Add some seeds for extra awesome.
7. have a very happy thanksgiving! and join me in counting down the days until “trapped” comes to broadway.