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Chess Pie
nibbleboard.com/recipes/chess-pie
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch frozen or homemade pie crust
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional) (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and position a rack in the center.
- Prepare the pie crust. If using homemade dough, roll it out and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork, line with parchment and pie weights, and blind bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges just start to set. Remove weights and parchment.
- Cream the room-temperature butter and sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the cornmeal and flour to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until just combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
- Pour in the room-temperature buttermilk, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest if using, and salt. Beat until the filling is smooth and uniform.
- Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie crust. Gently tap the pie plate on the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes until the edges of the filling are set and golden but the center still has a slight jiggle — not liquid, just a gentle wobble. If the crust edges brown too quickly, tent with foil after 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack at room temperature for at least 3 hours before slicing. The filling continues to set as it cools.
Nutrition per Serving
378Calories
5gProtein
49gCarbs
19gFat
Chef Tips
- Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable here — cold buttermilk or eggs will make the butter seize up and give you a lumpy filling instead of that silky custard texture.
- I've found that blind baking the crust for even just 10 minutes prevents a soggy bottom, which is the number one complaint with custard pies.
- The jiggle test is your best friend: the center should wobble like set Jell-O, not slosh like liquid. If it's still sloshing, give it another 5 minutes.
- No buttermilk? Mix 1/3 cup whole milk with 1 teaspoon white vinegar and let it sit 5 minutes. Works perfectly every time.
- This pie is even better the next day after chilling overnight in the fridge — the filling firms up completely and the flavors deepen.
Storage
Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The filling firms up in the fridge, which some people actually prefer.