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Sweet Tea Pie, Martha Foose

Martha Hall Foose's Sweet Tea Pie

Sweet tea pie is a Southern custard-based dessert, often described as a variation of lemon chess or buttermilk pie, that incorporates strong black tea to emulate the flavor of iconic Southern sweet tea. It typically features a buttery shortbread or cream cheese crust, filling infused with tea, lemon, and a generous amount of sugar, creating a creamy, bright, and sweet treat.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Cool Down 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mississippi, Southern
Calories: 880
Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 1/2 cup 1/4 pound, 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup warm freshly brewed strong orange pekoe tea
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cornmeal
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 cup 1/2 pound, 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 8 large egg yolks

Method
 

For the piecrust:
  1. Combine cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until they are evenly combined.
  2. Add the flour and continue beating a low speed just until the dough comes together into a ball. Press and pat the dough into a pie pan, building up a thicker top edge of the crust.
  3. Set the piecrust in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
For the Sweet Tea Lemon Chess Filling:
  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl or pitcher, combine the tea, vanilla, lemon juice and vinegar, stir well.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cornmeal, and lemon zest, and stir with a fork to mix them together well.
  3. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter until it is fluffy. Add the sugar-flour mixture gradually, and continue beating to combine well.
  4. Add the egg yolks a few at a time, mixing well each time. Add the tea mixture and beat to combine everything evenly and well. The filling will be soft and liquid, not thick, and may seem curdled, but don't worry.
  5. Pour the filling into the piecrust. Bake until the top and crust are handsomely browned, and the pie is fairly firm throughout, with just a little jiggling in the center, about 50 minutes.
  6. Place on a cooling rack or a folded kitchen towel and cool to room temperature. Chill two hours or more before serving.

Video

Notes

From The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook, Edited by Sara Roahen and John T. Edge; University of Georgia Press, 2010. All rights reserved.