Bama Chess Pie Recipes

CHESS PIE

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the flour and cornmeal.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. When the egg mixture is well beaten add the milk, vanilla, lemon juice and zest beat until smooth.
• Add pie crust to 9'' pie plate and crimp the edges. Pour in filling.
• Bake at 350 degreed F for 55-60 minutes. Check the pie after 30 minutes and place a piece of aluminum foil on top to keep it from getting too brown. (I spray the foil with a non-stick spray to keep it from sticking to the top of the pie.)
• Allow to cool for one hour before serving.

CHESS PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the piecrust into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate (no more than 1 ¼" deep). Tuck the edges under and crimp as desired. Freeze for 20 minutes. Prick the bottom of the crust 8-10 times, all over, with a fork.
• Line the frozen piecrust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes just until the edges of the crust are dry. Carefully remove the paper with weights. Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes until the bottom of the crust is dry and the edges just start to turn light brown. Let cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
• Place the melted butter and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in the eggs, then the cornmeal and flour. Add the milk, lemon juice, vanilla extract and pinch of salt and mix to combine.
• Carefully pour the filling into the crust. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the edges and center of pie are set completely. (Tent the pie with foil towards the end if either the crust or surface of the pie look darker than golden brown). Let the pie cool completely, about 2 hours. Garnish with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, if desired.

MAMA'S CHESS PIE

Steps:

• Combine sugar, corn meal, and flour. Melt the margarine and add to the sugar mixture. Cream well. Add eggs, one at a time and beat thoroughly after each. Add vinegar, vanilla, and milk. Beat thoroughly. Pour into unbaked pastry shell and bake in a 400 deg. oven for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 325 deg. and continue baking 30 to 45 minutes or until set.
• Makes 1 (9) pie.

CHESS PIE

Steps:

• Prepare the pie crust: Generously butter a 10-inch round, fluted tart pan. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, salt, black pepper and lemon zest. Working quickly, rub the cold butter into the dry mixture using your fingers or a pastry cutter. Cut the butter into the flour until the pieces are the size of small pebbles. (Alternatively, use a food processor to pulse the dry ingredients with the butter.) Add the egg yolks and the cold water. Using your hands, combine just until the dough comes together in clumps. Gather dough into a ball; flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out chilled dough between two sheets of parchment or on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch round. Using the rolling pin, transfer dough into the prepared tart pan. Press the dough into the fluted sides and trim any overhang to 1/4 inch above the pan. Chill the dough again for at least 20 minutes.
• Line the pie dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the crust is lightly browned along the edges and beginning to firm up, about 18 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment and bake for another 5 minutes to lightly brown the edges. Press down the surface with the back of a spoon if the crust bubbles. Allow the crust to cool completely before filling. Adjust the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• As the crust cools, prepare the filling: Whisk together eggs, yolks, sugar, cornmeal, lemon juice and zest and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in buttermilk and the melted butter.
• Place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet and carefully pour the filling into the cooled pie shell. Bake until the filling is set and jiggles slowly when the tart pan is moved back and forth, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool pie completely before slicing. Top with a dusting of powdered sugar and serve at room temperature or cold, with some whipped heavy cream on the side.

MAMA'S CHESS PIE

Steps:

• 1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in sugar and remove from heat to allow to cool slightly.
• 2. Beat eggs until frothy in a separate bowl and add slowly to butter mixture. Stir in vanilla.
• 3. Pour into pie shell and bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour.