Orange Chess Pie with Cranberry Gelée
Tags: Dessert
Yield: 8
- 1 (14.1-oz.) pkg. refrigerated piecrusts (such as Pillsbury)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
- 1 Tbsp. plain yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 2 tsp. grated orange zest plus 1/3 cup fresh juice (from 1 large navel orange)
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 (12-oz.) pkg. fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
- 1/2 cup, plus 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
- 2 1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin (from 1 [1/4-oz.] envelope)
- 2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)
- 1 (8-oz.) container mascarpone cheese
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Prepare Chess Pie: Preheat oven to 450°F. Unroll piecrusts; stack on a lightly floured surface. Roll stacked piecrusts into a 12-inch circle. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray, and fit piecrust into pie plate; fold edges under, and crimp. Prick bottom and sides of crust with a fork. Line with a piece of parchment, allowing ends to extend over edges of crust. Fill with pie weights. Bake 9 minutes; remove pie weights and parchment. Let cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
- Meanwhile, whisk together sugar, flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in melted butter, orange zest and juice, lemon juice, and eggs until thoroughly combined. Pour into prepared piecrust.
- Bake at 350°F until center is set, 40 to 45 minutes, shielding edges with foil after 30 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Let cool on wire rack 2 hours. Cover and chill until cold, about 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, prepare the Cranberry Gelée: Combine fresh cranberries and 4 cups water in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until berries have popped, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour berry mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl, discarding berries. (Do not press on berries; you want liquid to remain as clear as possible.) Return strained cranberry juice to saucepan. Stir in lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar. Cook over medium-high, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. (Cranberry juice mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead; cover and chill until ready to use.)
- Stir together 1 1/4 cups cranberry juice mixture and remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over mixture, and let stand 5 minutes. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, just until mixture is steaming and gelatin dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool 20 minutes. Stir in orange juice.
- Gently drizzle cranberry mixture evenly over top of chilled pie. Chill, covered, until gelée sets, about 1 hour.
- Prepare Mascarpone Whipped Cream: Whisk together mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl just until blended. (Be careful not to overmix.) Beat heavy whipping cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture. Dollop on top of pie, and garnish with Sugared Cranberries.
