Chess Pie

Photo by BlackStar55

Chess pie recipes vary, but are a bit alike in that they all have a single crust and a filling made of eggs, butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. The difference between the pie and other custard pies, is that the pie uses corn meal. Some recipes use corn syrup. The pie is then baked. Some drink coffee with the pie to soften the sweet taste of the pie.

No one knows for sure how the pie got its name. The pies are a Southern specialty. One explanation suggests that the word is “chest,” pronounced with a southern drawl and used to describe these pies baked with so much sugar they could be stored in a pie chest rather than refrigerated. It seems the pies have nothing to do with the game of chess. Chess pie information can be found at About.com

Recipe photo by Eudaemonius

Lemon Chess Pie

This pie was created by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock. The pie combines sweetness of chess with a generous amount of lemon juice and lemon zest. The pie is much smoother than chess and is a creamy pie.

* 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust

* 4 eggs, at room temperature

* 1 1/2 cups sugar

* 1 tablespoon white cornmeal

* 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1/3 cup (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

* 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

* 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, at room temperature

* 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* Whipped cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs briefly. One at a time, whisk in the following, blending until each ingredient has been incorporated before proceeding to the next: the sugar, cornmeal, flour, salt, melted butter, buttermilk, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla.

3. Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust, and bake in the middle of the oven for 30-40 minutes, until the pie is golden brown on top and almost set. The center should be slightly loose; it will set as it cools. Remove to a cooling rack. Serve at room temperature with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

This recipe was acquired on the website Ezra Pound Cake http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/4609