Cookin' with the Chronicle

Yes, it's chess pie

Posted 5/28/20

This pie has nothing to do with the board game but it will become one of your family’s favorites. It's just like your great-grandmother used to make.

CRUST

1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Subscribe to continue reading. Already a subscriber? Sign in

Get 50% of all subscriptions for a limited time. Subscribe today.

You can cancel anytime.
 

Please log in to continue

Log in

Cookin' with the Chronicle

Yes, it's chess pie

Posted

This pie has nothing to do with the board game but it will become one of your family’s favorites. It's just like your great-grandmother used to make.
CRUST
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or 1 1/2 cups Pastry Flour Blend  
1 tablespoon buttermilk powder, optional, for tenderness and flavor  
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
1/4 cup vegetable shortening 
1/4 cup cold butter 
3 to 5 Tbsp. ice water 
FILLING
1 tablespoon corn meal 
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 
1 2/3 cups sugar 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
6 tablespoons butter, melted 
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)  
5 large eggs, whisked briefly to combine 
To make the crust: Whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Work in the shortening until it’s well combined. Slice the butter into pats and add it to the flour mixture, working it in until it’s unevenly crumbly, with some larger pieces of butter remaining.
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the water over the dough while tossing with a fork. As soon as the dough becomes cohesive (you can squeeze it into a ball), stop mixing; there should still be visible pieces of butter in the dough. Add 2 more tablespoons water if needed to make dough come together.
Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. This allows the flour to absorb the water and gluten, making dough easier to roll out.
Flour your work surface and roll the dough into a 12” x 9” rectangle. If it isn’t holding together well, sprinkle it lightly with water. Fold the dough into thirds (like a letter), then fold it into thirds the opposite way, to form a rough square. Wrap it well and refrigerate again.
When you’re ready to roll, remove the dough from the fridge. Dough should rest 15 minutes at room temperature.
Roll the dough to a 12” to 13” circle, and settle it gently into a 9” pie pan 1 1/2” deep. Crimp edge of crust and place in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
To make the filling, whisk together corn meal, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter, then lemon juice. Add the whisked eggs, stirring until well combined.
Pour filling into chilled pie shell.
Bake pie on bottom shelf of a preheated 375°F oven for 50 minutes or until the center is set. The top should be golden brown.
Allow pie to cool before cutting.
 

Chess pie

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here