The Confusing Story of Chess Pie: The Southern Classic That Has Absolutely Nothing to Do with Chess
The ultimate Southern comfort treat that will satisfy even the most demanding sweet tooth with simple ingredients you already have in your pantry.
The mysterious name of this famous dessert might make you think of complicated culinary rules and master-level baking, though this legendary sweet pie is actually as humble and straightforward as it gets. The good news here is that this iconic chess pie doesn't require a trip to the bakery or any rare ingredients — just give it a try.
Here’s what you need: puff pastry, 115 g of softened butter, 400 g of granulated sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 4 eggs (at room temperature), 1 tbsp of corn flour, 1 tbsp of all-purpose flour, 60 ml of buttermilk (at room temperature), 1 tbsp of vinegar, powdered sugar for dusting, whipped cream for garnish (optional).
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into a circle with a diameter of 30 cm. Carefully place it in a 23 cm cake pan.
Lift the edges of the crust up onto the sides of the pan. Trim off the excess dough, leaving a little above the top edge so you can gently fold the dough over, and crimp the edges with the tines of a fork for decoration.
Place the prepared crust in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Once the dough has cooled and hardened, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and fill the crust with dry rice or beans.
Place in a preheated (190°C) oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven, carefully pour out the beans, and remove the parchment paper.
Set it aside while you prepare the filling.
Reduce the oven temperature to 175°C.
Place the butter, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer. Beat them together until the mixture is smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing the batter thoroughly after each addition. This will give each egg time to fully incorporate with the other ingredients.
Sift the wheat and corn flour together. Add the buttermilk, vinegar, and flour to the mixer bowl. Mix until smooth.
Pour the prepared filling into the cooled crust. Immediately place the pan in the oven (175°C) and bake for 50–55 minutes or until the filling in the pie has completely set.
Remove the pan from the oven. Let the pie cool at room temperature for about 45 minutes, then place it in the fridge and leave it there until completely cooled. This will take about 2 hours.
Now you can remove the cake from the pan, dust it with powdered sugar, and top it with whipped cream.
