Southern Chess Pie - The Keep At House Chef

Southern Chess Pie is a traditional dessert that brings a wealthy, gooey custard filling with a touch of caramelized goodness on high. Fortunately, this pie is tremendous straightforward to make. This recipe requires a pie crust and only a few extra substances that you just in all probability have already got available, so that you’ll be capable of whip up this pie very quickly in any respect! It has such a deliciously candy and distinctive taste that everybody might be begging you for the recipe!

For easier pie recipes, attempt our Easy Peasy Pumpkin Pie or our Old Fashioned Strawberry Pie.

Why Our Recipe

The right gooey custard filling that’s wealthy and candy with cornmeal to offer texture.
A caramelized layer on high offers the proper end.
Tremendous easy to make in order that anybody from newbies to pie professionals can take pleasure in.

A slice of chess pie on a plate. A fork is resting on the plate as the first bite has been taken.

Southern chess pie is good, indulgent, and downright scrumptious! The filling is much like custard, however the cornmeal provides it extra texture than custard. The sugar caramelizes on high of the pie because it bakes, making it even yummier. comparability is the flavour of pecan pie for those who simply eliminated the pecans!

Ingredient Notes

An overhead view of the ingredients needed to make Chess Pie.

Pie Crust: This recipe doesn’t stroll you thru learn how to make a pie crust, however don’t have any worry! We’ve our Fool Proof Pie Crust recipe that we swear by. If you happen to’re in a pinch, you should utilize a store-bought pie crust, however simply be certain you don’t skip the freezing step on this recipe! In any other case, your crust received’t obtain that good texture because it bakes.
Cornmeal: This small quantity of cornmeal within the recipe is vital to the standard taste and texture of chess pie.
Milk: Entire milk works finest, however you possibly can all the time use 2%.
Lemon Juice: You should use bottled lemon juice for this recipe if you need, however recent is all the time finest. The lemon juice cuts by way of the sweetness of the pie, giving it a extra complicated taste.

Recipe Origins

Chess pie has been round for a very long time—some say it originated again in England within the 18th century! It’s not clear the place precisely the identify chess pie got here from, however not one of the theories recommend that it’s named after the sport of chess. Some sources say that one baker of this pie served it saying, “It’s simply pie,” however her Southern accent made the phrase “simply” sound like “chess.”

Others say that the identify refers back to the chests that folks used to retailer their meals in to maintain it recent, and that it was as soon as once more misunderstood and became “chess pie” reasonably than “chest pie.” We would not know why it was ever deemed chess pie, however we do know one factor—it’s nonetheless a superbly scrumptious dessert!

An overhead view of a chess pie that has been sliced for serving. The first slice has been removed from the pan.

Forestall Cracking

If you happen to transfer this pie out of the oven too quick, you possibly can threat cracking the highest! One option to forestall pies from cracking is to position the pie dish on a cookie sheet earlier than placing it within the oven. That can make it a lot simpler to take out of the oven, and also you additionally received’t have to fret about spills in your oven!

Serving Recommendations

You may all the time serve slices of chess pie plain, however you may as well costume them up with slightly one thing additional. Giving the pie a dusting of powdered sugar on high is the best option to glam it up. And, after all, pie is all the time nice served with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you wish to get fancier, you possibly can high with recent berries or add slightly orange or lemon zest on high.

Storage Directions

Retailer at room temperature by masking the pie loosely with plastic wrap or foil for as much as 2 days.

Refrigerate leftovers in an hermetic container or coated with plastic wrap or foil for as much as 5 days.

Freeze particular person slices then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a resealable freezer bag. Retailer within the freezer for as much as 2 months. Thaw within the fridge earlier than serving.

Extra scrumptious pie recipes . . .

Watch the video beneath the place Caytlin will stroll you thru each step of this recipe. Generally it helps to have a visible, and we’ve all the time bought you coated with our cooking present. You could find the whole assortment of recipes on YouTube, our Facebook Page, or proper right here on our web site with their corresponding recipes.

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