Chess Pie
A rich, sweet and decadent Southern pie made with simple ingredients. This variation includes browning the butter to really upgrade the flavor of the pie.
Servings: 8
- 1 prepared pie crust (homemade* or store-bought, unbaked)
- 1/2 cup (113g) salted butter, diced into 1-Tbsp pieces
- 1 1/4 cup (250g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp (22g) cornmeal
- 1 Tbsp (10g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- Roll pie crust out about 12-inches then roll up around rolling pin and transfer to a standard pie plate. Unroll and shape into pie plate and decorate edges as desired. Chill until crust is firm, at least 1 hour.
- Melt butter in a medium, light-colored skillet. Let cook, stirring frequently until it has a nutty aroma and has browned (careful not to burn it, it should be an amber brown). Pour into a dish and let cool 1 hour.
- Place a baking sheet in oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a mixing bowl beat eggs lightly to blend.
- In a separate mixing bowl whisk together granulated sugar, cornmeal, flour and salt.
- Pour in browned butter, milk, vinegar and vanilla to sugar mixture and blend. Add eggs and mix until well combined.
- Pour into prepared crust and bake on baking sheet in preheated oven until edges are set but center just wiggles slightly, about 45 - 55 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Store pie in refrigerator.
*My favorite pie crust recipe is the one I've used here, omitting the sugar (since this pie is already plenty sweet). Prepare through step 2 as directed then follow recipe here as directed.