Classic Chess Pie

John Egerton, in Southern Food, offers two possibilities how chess pie got its start: It may have been chest because it held up well in the pie chest, a piece of furniture common in the early South. More likely, it was a creative cook who served the pie to her husband. "What kind of pie is this ?" her spouse is said to have exclaimed. She just shrugged, smiled, and replied, "I don't know. It's 'ches' pie!"

23 minutes to prepare, 55 minutes to cook

Makes 8 servings

Collected by Janice T. Watlington (So. Living)

Contributor!Watlington, Janice T. Desserts!Chess Pie Desserts!Coconut Chess Pie Desserts!Lemon Chess Pie Desserts!Chocolate Pecan Chess Pie Pie!Chess Pie!Coconut Chess Pie!Lemon Chess Pie!Chocolate Pecan Chess Vanilla!Chess Pie

Ingredients

• 1/2 pkg. (15 oz.) Pie Crusts refrigerated
• 2 cups Sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Corn Meal
• 1 Tbsp. Flour all purpose
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter or Margarine melted
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1 Tbsp. White Vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 4 large Eggs beaten

Directions

Fit pie crust into one 9-inch pie plate. Fold the edges under and crimp. Line pastry with aluminum foil, and will with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake at 425 deg. F for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove weights and foil. Bake two more minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool.

Stir together sugar, corn meal, flour, salt, butter, milk, vinegar, and vanilla until blended. Add eggs, stirring well. Pour into baked pie crust.

Bake at 350 deg. F for 50 to 55 minutes, shielding edges with foil after the first ten minutes.

For Coconut Chess Pie: prepare filling, stirring in 1 cup of toasted coconut flakes.

For Chocolate Pecan Chess Pie: prepare filling, stirring in 3 1/2 Tbsps. cocoa and 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans.

For Lemon Chess Pie: prepare filling, stirring in 1/3 cup lemon juice and 2 tsps. grated lemon rind.

"There are a lot of similar desserts that share the same ingredients. That's because the South was at one time agrarian, and a farm woman had to cook with what was there --- things like eggs, butter, sugar, and cornmeal. She'd put it all together and try to make something out of it, and when it was good she'd try to remember what she did." -- Jeanne Voltz