Lemon Olive Oil Pie
How’s that post-Thanksgiving hangover treating you? Have you exhausted your drawstring pants and oversized tees? Have you polished off your final few turkey sandwiches and leftover slices of pie?
With our move-in date looming just around the corner, we opted to stay close by for Thanksgiving to celebrate with Brett’s family. I’m obsessed with the cornbread dressing and bacon-y green beans that this Southern Thanksgiving provided me, but I missed the things that really make it feel like the holidays. I miss my grandparents scurrying around the kitchen and nibbling on trays of olives with my Mom. I even miss passing around that carrot salad that absolutely no one eats. It’s funny how much things like that, the atmosphere and the faces and the flavors that you grow up with, shape your idea of what a holiday or gathering should look like. I think the absence of those things deepens my love and appreciation for the people who created those moments for me.
Lemon Olive Oil Pie
With Thanksgiving behind us, its easy to want to dive right in to the Christmas cookies and pound cakes and peppermint-flavored everything that comes with December, but in an effort to transition gracefully from turkeys to Christmas trees, I have a delicious and elegant pie that is perfectly appropriate for this limbo time of year. This lemon olive oil pie, a spin on a Southern lemon chess pie, is fragrant and flavorful, a treat that is as tasty as it is beautiful.
I’m sharing this recipe today in partnership with my friends at Lucini Italia. You might recall the cheesy rolls I served alongside their sauce a few weeks ago, but did you know that they also make premium olive oils as well? This lemon olive oil pie is the perfect showcase for quality oil, as the flavor and smells of it come through in a really unique way.
How to Make an Olive Oil Pie
First, we have an olive oil pie crust. Adapted from my trusty, no-fail crust, this pie dough has the addition of olive oil to it! Although it does just barely change the texture of the crust, it provides a subtle whiff of that olive oil flavor that is interesting and super tasty to eat. The filling here, similar to the chocolate chess pie I shared this time last year, is scented with lemon zest and utilizes olive oil in place of the butter. The texture of this filling is really very similar to any normal chess pie, but again, the flavor of the olive oil meshes perfectly with the tangy citrus. It’s really lovely.
The key here really is the olive oil. The flavor is extremely subtle, but oil that doesn’t have a definitively delicious flavor will make the pie taste greasy. Gross, right? Lucini is a brand I trust to provide quality olive oil for a variety of my baking and cooking needs; it especially shines in this pie. If you’re on the hunt for a favorite olive oil, I would highly suggest giving Lucini a try.
Finishing the Pie
I like to finish this lemon olive oil pie with freshly whipped cream. This is totally optional, but I think it adds a nice finishing touch to an already fab pie. Although I lean on pies during holidays, this pie would be perfectly delicious in the spring or summer as well. It’s bright, fresh, and flavorful while still maintaining it’s status as an indulgent, rich dessert.
Happy pie making to you all! I hope you’ll give this pie a try in the coming weeks!
This post is sponsored by Lucini Italia. Thank you for supporting brands that make Wood and Spoon possible.
If you like this lemon olive oil pie you should try:
PrintLemon Olive Oil Pie
This lemon olive oil pie is a tangy and refreshing take on a Southern chess pie. Topped with whipped cream and flavored with quality Lucini olive oil, this is a delicious pie perfect all year round.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 60
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 9
- Category: dessert
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1–3/4 cup (245 gm) all-purpose flour
- 1–1/2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (60 gm) olive oil
- 6 tablespoons (85 gm) unsalted butter, cold and chopped
- Ice water
For the pie:
- 4 large eggs (240 gm), plus an additional for brushing the pie crust, if desired
- 1–1/2 cups (300 gm) sugar
- 1/3 cup (80 gm) olive oil
- 1/3 cup (80 gm) buttermilk
- ¼ cup (60 gm) fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the whipped cream:
- 1–1/4 cups (300 gm) heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup (50 gm) sugar
Instructions
To prepare the pie crust:
- Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and cold butter and use a pastry cutter to cut in the fat until small clumps are throughout. Do not overwork the dough. Add about 6 tablespoons of water, more as needed a tablespoon at a time, to bring the floury clumps together into a shaggy dough. Again, do NOT overwork- this will yield a tough crust. Dump the dough out onto a counter and bring it into a ball and then flatten it into a round. Cover it with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest in the fridge for at least an hour, but preferably for several hours.
To prepare the pie:
- When ready to bake the pie, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Allow the dough to sit out at room temp for about 5 minutes and then roll it out with a rolling pin on a floured surface until it is about an 11” diameter circle. The dough needs to be an inch large on all sides than the diameter of your pie plate. Roll the dough up onto the rolling pin and unroll it into the pie plate. Gently nudge the dough into the edges of the pan and trim off any excess around the top, leaving a ½” over the edge of the lip of the pan on all sides. Fold the dough until and press to seal the crust. Crimp your edges as desired and then place the pie dish in the freezer while you prep the pie filling.
- Whisk the 4 eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla and whisk just to combine. Add the lemon zest, flour, and salt and stir just until combined. Pull the pie plate out of the freezer, and, if desired, whisk the remaining egg in a small bowl and brush a thing layer of the mixture on the edges of the crust. This only helps with browning and is not necessary. Pour the filling into the pie and bake in the preheated oven about 40 minutes or until the crust and top of the pie is golden and bronzed. You may need to rotate the pie the last 10 minutes to allow it to brown evenly. Allow to cool to room temperature prior to serving.
To prepare the whipped cream:
- Whip the heavy whipping cream on medium speed until frothy and slightly thickened. Add the sugar and continue beating until smooth, thick peaks form. Top the pie and serve immediately.
