Chess pie is such a common dessert where I grew up, I forget it’s not popular everywhere. That is until I talk to someone who’s not from the South (or at least the Midwest) and they look at me puzzled. “Chess pie?” they ask. “What’s that?”
The classic Southern pie’s popularity doesn’t reach far beyond the confines of the region, although you’ll occasionally see some version of chess pie pop up at bakeries and on dessert menus. My sister and I favor chocolate chess pie. A little cocoa powder adds a bit of chocolatey interest to the rich, sweet dessert, pairing nicely with the buttery crust.
If you’re new to chocolate chess pie, then wow your friends with a novel dessert that happens to be one of the easiest pies to make (we won’t tell). If you’re already familiar, then I hope this dependable recipe will go into your regular rotation.
What Is Chess Pie?
Chess pie is a traditional Southern pie made of a short list of staple ingredients: eggs, sugar, and butter. Sometimes there’s vanilla, cornmeal, milk, a little flour, lemon, and other ingredients thrown in to enhance the flavor and give it a thin crust on top. It’s a cooked custard pie that gently cooks right in the pie crust in the oven.
The origins of the pie are murky—is it from “chest pie,” named after a pie chest, or did it come from cheese pie? Or, my favorite, is it from the Southern pronunciation of “just pie?” No one’s quite sure. What is certain is that it’s a Southern favorite.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
A Family Recipe
While I’ve made countless chess pies with various flavors over the years (lemon, buttermilk, and brown sugar, to name a few), this was my first time developing a chess pie recipe. I started at the best possible place: the family cookbook.
While my family’s original chocolate chess pie recipe (at least 50 years old, likely older) works perfectly well, it lacks detail and has zero bells and whistles. It works, and it tastes good, but I couldn’t help tinkering a bit by adding salt, espresso powder, and upping the cocoa powder, as well as par-baking the crust. I think my relatives would approve.
The Case for Blind Baking the Crust
I know, I know. Par-baking pie crust is an extra step and therefore annoying! But hear me out.
Most chess pie and chocolate chess pie recipes call for baking the filling in an unbaked pie crust. If you’re feeling lazy, you can do this, but heed this warning: you will end up with a barely cooked, slightly soggy bottom crust. That’s just the facts!
Blind baking for just a few minutes yields a tender, flaky, crispy, buttery crust that is a perfect counterpoint to the rich, smooth filling. This applies to homemade and store-bought crusts. It’s such a big difference that I’ll never skip blind baking the crust for my chess pies again.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Pie Crust Troubleshooting Tips
- Ensure you don’t have any holes or tears in your crust. The filling is liquid, so it will leak out and underneath the crust if there’s an opening.
- After blind baking the crust, give it a quick inspection. If you notice any small holes or cracks that opened up, brush them with a little beaten egg white and return the pan to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes to seal any openings.
- Bake the pie in the bottom third of the oven. This will help to further crisp up the bottom crust and will help prevent the edges of the crust from over-browning.
Down Home Pie Recipes
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