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Looking for a Recipe for 'Chess' Pie

linder's picture
linder

Looking for a Recipe for 'Chess' Pie

My father-in-law is coming to visit around new year's, and I would like to make his favorite pie.  He calls it chess pie.  I believe it is basically just made out of the 'goo' that surrounds a pecan pie(basically corn syrup, butter and eggs), but I'm not sure.  Has anyone else heard of this pie?  Does anyone have a recipe for same?  If not,  I think I'll stumble around and try making a pie just from the pecan pie recipe I have.  Thanks.

Linda

GermanFoodie's picture
GermanFoodie

but upon googling it I found this: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/chess-pie/detail.aspx. I think you are head-on, it's just goo in a pie shell. Hope this helps!

cindybakes's picture
cindybakes

Not "goo in a pie shell".  Chess pie is a type of pie that can be made in many flavors.  It's a single-crust pie, made of eggs, butter, sugar, and various additional ingredients depending upon what kind you are making.

OldWoodenSpoon's picture
OldWoodenSpoon

I found this in an article on WikiPedia,

Chess pie is a particularly sugary dessert characteristic of Southern U.S. cuisine.

and Google turned up several recipes.  It looked like your assumption about Pecan Pie is quite close, but you might want to try a Google search of your own to confirm your suspicions.

Good Luck!
OldWoodenSpoon

Edit:  GermanFoodie beat me to it by 2 minutes while I was composing.   Hours of silence, then a flood!

linder's picture
linder

Thanks - I did a google search and I'll be doing some test pies (lucky hubby gets to be the guinea pig) between now and the end of the year. 

Stuart Borken's picture
Stuart Borken

Chess Pie

1 (15 oz.) package refrigerated pie crusts
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 TB all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup fresh tangerine juice
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 TB cornmeal
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tsp grated tangerine rind
1 TB lemon juice
Garnishes: sweetened whipping cream, tangerine slices, etc.

Unfold pie crusts, stack them on a lightly floured surface. Roll into
one 12” circle. Fit pie crust in a 9” pie plate according to package
directions. Fold edges under and crimp. Pierce crust with tines of a fork.Bake pie crust at 450 degrees for 8 minutes then cool.Whisk sugar and next nine ingredients until blended. Pour into pie
crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until center is
set, protect edges of pie crust with foil after 20 minutes.

waltgray's picture
waltgray

Nashville Chess Pie-Charlotte S. Lammers

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cornmeal
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 unbaked 9" pastry shell

1. Cream butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add cornmeal, vinegar, and
vanilla, mixing well. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 425 degrees for
10 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake an additional 25 minutes, or until pastry is crisp.

Servings: 1

Recipe Type
Pie-Dessert

Source
Source: Southern Living'sCooking Across the South

linder's picture
linder

Thanks, PastryPaul, unfortunately, my father-in-law is not a chocolate loving kind-a-guy.

linder's picture
linder

Thanks everyone for all the Chess Pie recipes- I'll be testing, testing, testing until New Years Day!

Linda

cindybakes's picture
cindybakes

Shoot, I've been making chess pie for many years.  My favorite recipe is a chocolate chess one that my aunt gave me years ago.  But I've made lemon chess too, and they are deelish!  You can find plenty of recipes online - these pies are very commonly made...I think it's just that most people don't realize that they are named "chess pie".

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

This recipe comes from my favorite little ol pie recipe magazine that belonged to my mother.  When we lived in TX she used to make a pie every Sunday for dinner.  It's an old paperback book, I treasure, with 250 pies and pastries.  I often bake pies from it, and have never been disappointed, though I have not yet tried the Chess Pies recipe..these are small pies, but could easily be made into one large pie.  The recipe was listed with some tarts and pastries.  I think the ingredients look enough to fill one large pie.

Southern Pastry, is used, I'll just list the ingredients..basically uses only shortening and a little more than usual pie crusts have when using only shortening in the pie crust recipe.

2 cups sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup shortening

6 Tablespoons Ice water

 

Chess Pies

1 recipe Southern Pastry

1/2 cup butter, 1 cup sugar

3 Egg Yolks, 1 Egg White

1 Cup Chopped Raisins

1 Cup Chopped Nut Meats    I would say Pecans..good TX pecans..we had a pecan tree in our yard : )

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 recipe Whipped Cream Topping

Line individual pie plates with pastry.  Cream butter and sugar, add beaten egg yolks and stiffly beaten egg white.  Mix well.  

Add fruit, nuts and vanilla, poor into pastry shells and bake in hot oven (400F) until fillings set, reduce temperature to moderate (350F) and bake until browned.

Cover with whipped cream topping.

Makes 6 individual pies.

Hope you enjoy...there are some real classics in this book.

Sylvia

 

 

whosinthekitchen's picture
whosinthekitchen

of a little book/magazine you have.  Most likely out of pront but it sounds wonderful and I would love to find it.

Please list the publisher and date as well.  Thanks,

whosinthekitchen~ Lisa

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

I typed the title in 'search' and OMG!  There it is everywhere vintage sales, old magazine copies...I noticed a 5, after the title '250 Superb Pies and Pastries 5'  It said housewives in the 40's and 50's could purchase a series of these magazines...I bet mom got it in a store that I remember as a child, we used to go grocery shopping at in TX..it was called I think something like Piggly Wiggly.  

My copy is very yellowed and the front cover has fallen off.. but you can see it has a Cream Lattice Cherrie pie pictured on the front cover.

Thanks from prompting me to just type it in search...what a fun surprise to see it : )

Sylvia