Rum-Raisin Chess Pie

Ingredients

• For the crust:
• 3/4 cup ounces all-purpose flour
• 1 cup slivered almonds, coarsely ground
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 16 slices and chilled
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Ice water, as needed
• For the filling:
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup dark rum
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons coarse-ground cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 4 pieces
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar

Directions

1. For the crust, put the flour, ground almonds, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and stir them together. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with 2 knives, or toss the butter through the flour mixture and rub it in quickly with your thumb, index, and middle fingers, almost like a finger snap.
2. Tip the mixture onto a clean, dry work surface, shape it into a mound, and make a well in the middle. Add the egg, then use a bench scraper to bring the dough together. If it needs help coming together, add ice water 2 teaspoons at a time. Knead the dough 2 to 3 times, form it into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and chill it for 20 minutes.
3. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees F. When the dough is cold, press it into a 9-inch round pie dish and prick it with a fork. Freeze the dough for 15 minutes. Line the pie with parchment paper, leaving extra hanging over the sides, then fill the shell with pie weights or dried beans and bake for 10 minutes. Carefully lift out the weights and parchment, then bake for 5 minutes more, just until the crust looks dry but has not turned golden. Move the pie shell to a cooling rack and lower the oven to 350 degrees F.
4. For the filling, put the raisins and 1/2 cup rum in a small saucepan and bring them to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn the heat down to medium and let them simmer until the raisins have swelled and most of the rum has soaked in. Take the pan off the heat.
5. In a large bowl, mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons cornmeal, salt, and baking soda. Add the butter and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture looks light and pale, stopping as needed to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Whisk in the eggs, buttermilk, remaining 1/4 cup rum, vanilla, and vinegar. Stir in the raisins, then pour the filling into the prepared pie shell. Scatter the remaining 1/2 tablespoon (1 1/2 teaspoons) cornmeal over the top.
6. Bake until the pie is set and golden brown, 45 to 60 minutes. Move it to a cooling rack and let it cool completely. Serve.