Old Fashioned Chess Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you know when a chess pie is done? ›

Towards the end of the baking time, the only way you can tell if it's done is by gently jiggling the pie. It should have a very slight jiggle but be totally set in the center. If you're worried it's not done, just bake another 5-10 minutes.

If your chess pie is just slightly runny in the middle, turn off the oven and leave it inside for 5-10 minutes. That should give it time to finish cooking. Please let the pie cool completely before serving so the filling sets and the flavors meld (3-4 hours at room temperature).

When you move a pie out of the oven too fast, you risk cracking the top. One trick of the trade to keep pies from cracking is to place the pie dish on a cookie tray to bake. That way, when you take it out of the oven once it's finished baking, you don't have to worry about moving it too much.

Ingredients for Chess Pie

For even easier results, use a frozen pie crust that's ready to go. Sugar: Adds sweetness and thickness to the custard. Cornmeal: Along with flour, cornmeal helps thicken up the chess pie's custard.

There are four ingredients in a standard pie crust: flour, fat, liquid, and salt.

Unlike a typical custard pie, that wobbly middle will not fully set up when it's cool due to the high sugar content. So bake the pie until it just sets up, and there is no jiggle left in the pie.

Chess and nut pies (ex. Salted Maple, Hot Cocoa Chess, or Brandy Pecan) are best eaten within 3 days of purchase if stored at room temperature. However, they can also be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Chess pie can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated, whichever you prefer. If you love cold pie, this recipe will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed. We like tapioca in blueberry, cherry or peach pies.

Chess and nut pies can last up to a week on the counter. Cream pies must be refrigerated and are best eaten within two days of purchase. Meringue pies also must be refrigerated and are best eaten within 4 days of purchase.

How can I make my pie more firm? ›

All-purpose flour is an easy solution, as you're sure to have it in your pantry. Since it's lower in starch, you'll use more of it than you would higher-starch thickeners. Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture.

However, chess pie is made with cornmeal to thicken the filling, whereas buttermilk pies generally only use all-purpose flour.

Cornmeal as a stabilizer in the filling is distinct to chess pie.” Buttermilk is the main factor in differentiating the two pies. Adding an acidic ingredient, like buttermilk or vinegar, to the pie will cut down on the sweetness and change the consistency of the filling.

Though it's not always called upon to thicken the filling, cornmeal is frequently what gives a chess pie it's velvety texture and yellow color. Buttermilk pie, meanwhile, always has buttermilk. More acids, like lemon juice or vinegar, are also frequently added to brighten up the recipe even more.

Chess pie is similar to a custard pie, as it's a dairy and egg-baked pie. However, it has one distinct difference: it usually has an additional thickener added to it like cornmeal, or sometimes, flour.

What is chocolate chess pie made of? It's just about one of the easiest chocolate pies you can make! The custardy filling is made with eggs, sugar, milk, butter, cornmeal, vanilla, and unsweetened chocolate.