Chess Pie: the Tart Version

Lemon chess pie is said to be named for the old Southern pie safe or pie chest, a wooden cupboard with a perforated tin door. Pies, cakes and other goodies were kept there, safely out of reach of flies, crawling creatures and small children.

This old Southern favorite, traditionally so sweet it will set your teeth on edge, caused some consternation in Washington circles during inaugural week. Colleen Nunn, who is married to U.S. Senator Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), was in charge of the Governors Luncheon, an official inaugural event for 180 hosted by President Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton in the great hall of the Library of Congress. And it was to feature lemon chess pie--reputedly one of President Clinton’s favorite desserts.

Colleen never panics. But this grace is coupled with perfectionism, and she was absolutely determined to make these chess pies right.

So she called me a week before the inauguration. “Nathalie,” she said, “we’re having trouble with the lemon chess pies. The caterer keeps sending over chess pies for us to sample, and they are too sweet and they don’t look pretty on the plate.”

So we started from square one, and by the time Colleen hung up, she had decided to serve tiny tarts made with more lemon and much less sugar, set on a bed of lemon leaves and topped with fresh raspberries and candied lemon peel. “I’ll get my sister-in-law to make them when she comes up for the inauguration,” she said.

She asked where I’d be on Monday in case the pies didn’t come out right. I told her and wished her luck, knowing full well there was nothing I could do if they failed.

They didn’t. When we met later in the week, she said: “I checked every plate that came out of the kitchen. They were all perfect. We served each on a bed of lemon leaves, garnished with raspberries and the rind.”

I then asked, afraid to hear the answer: “And President Clinton? Did he eat one?”

She laughed and said: “I needn’t have worried--he ate two, and asked for more!”

It’s nice to have a good eater in the White House again. Here’s my recipe.

Tassies are tiny tarts, and these are indeed small--figure on serving two to three tassies per person.

LEMON-RASPBERRY CHESS TASSIES 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup sifted flour Filling 24 raspberries

Mix cream cheese and butter in small bowl or food processor. Add flour and blend thoroughly. Chill 5 to 15 minutes, if hard to handle. Divide dough and roll into 24 small balls. Wrap balls in plastic wrap and chill again, about 5 minutes.

Place each ball in tiny, ungreased fluted tart pan (1x1 1/2-inch diameter) or miniature muffin tin and press dough with fingertips against bottom and sides, or use tart tamper. Place pans in refrigerator to chill while preparing Filling.

Spoon Filling into tart shells about 3/4 of way up sides. Bake at 325 degrees until set, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove tarts from pans before cooling completely and finish cooling on wire rack.

Place 1 raspberry in depression in center of each tart and refrigerate until serving. Tassies will keep several days in refrigerator, tightly wrapped, and up to 3 months in freezer. Makes 24 small tarts, or 8 to 12 servings.

Filling 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 2 tablespoons butter, softened 2 tablespoons whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Juice and grated zest 1/2 lemon

Beat together sugar, egg, butter, cream, vanilla, lemon juice and zest.