This egg and sugar dessert is a custard in pie form. Fluffier than a flan and flavored with vanilla, this pie is both easy and delicious.
The Story:
I have no experience with Chess Pies. None. Nada. I hadn’t even heard of it until we decided to challenge ourselves to a year of United Sweets of America. In a serendipitous turn, I bought a book at a thrift store entitled “The Southern Heritage Pies and Pastry Cookbook” put out by Southern Living. Inside, there are not one, not two, but seven chess pie recipes. I decided to go with their “Rebecca Boone’s Chess Pie” recipe for two reasons. Firstly, Rebecca Boone (Daniel Boone’s wife) was from Virginia and this dessert is the United Sweets of America’s Virginian dessert. Secondly, the Boone family has ties to Pennsylvania and a cousin of Daniel Boone built a house and barn nearby that is still standing.
Philip has had chess pies before and it’s always so interesting how disparate our childhood diets were. I was surrounded by the richness of Cajun cuisine, but somehow all the crawfish etouffe, dirty rice, and boudin was enough; we didn’t seem to have a lot of desserts in my neck of the woods. So not only is this challenge fun to do, it proves to be informative more often than not.
My first chess pie didn’t not come out as well as I would have liked. It didn’t have enough filling for my pie plate, so I remade it. Having to wait until a sunny day, this week’s dessert is delayed. I’ve lived in so many different places, but I’ve never lived anywhere with such unpredictable weather. The meteorologists so often have it wrong.
Gluten-Free Pie Crust
First off, the gluten-free pie crust, which is best made a day ahead and allowed to chill. I adapted this from Land O’ Lakes.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons xantham gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cups cold shortening
1 egg
3 tablespoons cold water
1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Mix together dry ingredients (brown rice flour through salt) in a bowl. With a pastry blender or fork, cut in shortening until crumbly.
In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, water, and vinegar. Add to dry ingredients and work with hands until well incorporated. Shape into flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Store in refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
To make the pie, remove pastry from fridge and allow to warm up about five minutes. Using brown rice sprinkled plastic wrap, parchment paper, or freezer paper, place disk in middle and cover with second piece. With a rolling pin, roll out dough to a 12-inch disk. Invert onto pie plate and carefully press into bottom. Allow overhang on pie plate edge and press fork tines to decorate. Meanwhile, make your filling.
Rebecca Boone’s Chess Pie (adapted)
Gather your tools. You’ll need:
1. mixing bowls 2. measuring cups 3. measuring spoons 4. hand mixer 5. spoon 6. pie plate
Gather your ingredients. You’ll need:
1. eggs 2. granulated sugar 3. corn meal 4. margarine 5. apple cider vinegar 6. vanilla extract
Ingredients:
7 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 tablespoons corn meal
1/2 cup margarine
1 and 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
With a hand mixer on medium-high speed, beat together eggs, sugar, and cornmeal for about two to three minutes, until light and fluffy. Add in margarine, vinegar, and vanilla, and beat until there are no more margarine lumps. Immediately pour into pastry shell and bake. (If you wait to pour into pastry shell, eggs will begin to separate and it will not cook evenly).
Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before slicing.
Gluten-Free Chess Pie Printable
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