Page 124 - United States of Pie

Chess Pie

Recipes for chess pie began appearing in community cookbooks
in the late 1920s. The origin of the pie’s name is something of a
mystery, one that’s hotly debated by food historians. Some think it’s
an elision of “cheese,” a reference to the pie’s soft curdlike texture
that calls to mind a (cheese-less) cheesecake; others think it comes

from “chest,” because traditional versions of the pie contained so
much sugar that they could be stored in a pie chest instead of the
refrigerator.
But just what is a chess pie, anyway? Maybe the more appropriate
question is what isn’t a chess pie? Nothing—except the ingredients,
usually pantry staples—is simple when it comes to chess pie. Where
to begin? In its simplest terms, a chess pie is a sweet baked custard

pie. But different recipes abound. Some include lemon juice or
vinegar to cut the sweetness. Others include buttermilk, either a little
or quite a lot—and then the pie is called Buttermilk Pie. I have seen
a chocolate chess pie. There are chess pies chock-full of nuts. Some
contain cream. Many of the custards are thickened with cornmeal.
See what I mean? Coming up with a recipe can be a daunting task!

With all of this in mind, this is the recipe I have arrived at. It is
sweet—sweeter than many other pies in this book, but less sweet
than some chess pie recipes I came across. The pie is dairy-rich,
sunny from eggs, and rich with butter and a bit of buttermilk.
Thickened with both cornmeal and flour, the pie has grit and wobble.
It is simple, sweet, and delightful—all the things that a Southern pie
should be.

½ recipe Standard Pie Dough or Sour Cream Pie Dough