Vinegar pie generally adds somewhere between a teaspoonful and tablespoonful of vinegar to the above ingredients to reduce the sweetness. Chess pie is most commonly associated as a dessert of the American South. So which one’s true? 1. More acids, like lemon juice or vinegar, are also frequently added to brighten up the recipe even more. Chess Pie Ingredients. Granulated sugar: Traditional chess pie … Chess pie is about as simple as a dessert can be. [2] A recipe similar to chess pie appears in Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery, from the mid-18th century. Mix in the eggs, then stir in the … What is Chess Pie? Best Your Best Chef-Self: The Complete How-To Guide. Often, it was stored in something called a “pie chest.” The word “chest,” some say, was eventually corrupted to “chess.”. Chess pie is a dessert that’s a classic in the South even though it originated in England. There are a lot of stories about how chess pie got its name. There’s also a really cute story behind why it’s called Chess Pie. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Its name “chest pie” was eventually corrupted to “chess pie.” Let’s take a look at some of the most common stories surrounding its name: Looking for the very best chess pie recipe? Chess Pie is so cool in that it was a style of pie developed primarily to help put good use to ingredients that had passed their prime. Chess pie is a dessert characteristic of Southern United States cuisine, particularly in Virginia.[1]. It is a custard style pie with a crisp browned topping. Why is it called chess pie? [7] Nut pies, including pecan, fall under the category of chess pies. Though the origin of the name remains uncertain, there are plenty of guesses and a bit of folklore surrounding it. From chips and dip to one-bite apps, finger foods are the perfect way to kick off a party. For more easy desserts, be sure to check out my Homemade Churros and Chocolate Cola Cake! Some variations are called Jeff Davis or Jefferson Davis Pie, and Kentucky pie. This includes the trademarked Derby Pie, a chocolate-walnut mixture invented specifically for the Kentucky Derby. Chess pie is closely related to vinegar pie, and the two terms are often used interchangeably. ).”, “This pie was delicious and so easy,” raves another reviewer. Southern gentlemen liked to enjoy the dessert after dinner while they played chess. Foodcollection/Getty Images, Credit: One of them is that the pies were originally kept unrefrigerated in a chest. Pecan is probably the most famous type of chess pie, but all nut pies are technically chess pies. This classic pie is super easy to prepare. A recipe for chess pie appeared in the 1877 cookbook by Estelle Woods Wilcox, Buckeye Cookery. We know it’s been around for quite some time, but the pie’s exact origins are hard to pinpoint. [6], In addition to standard chess pie, other flavor variations include lemon, coconut, and chocolate chess pie. Chess Pie is commonly associated with the southern United States. Why is it called chess pie? Some say it is a mispronunciation of "cheese" pie while others say it got its name because it was served to men as they played chess. “Chess” could be a derivation of “cheese.” Though there is no cheese in chess pie, its rich texture is comparable to British cheesecakes or curd pies. why is it called "chess pie"? Chess pie has long been associated with the South. It's debatable as to why they call it chess pie. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and preheat oven to 425°F. 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. Common types of chess pie are buttermilk, chocolate, lemon, and nut. One of the first instances in which the pie was referred to as “chess pie” occurred in 1877 in Estelle Woods Wilcox’s cookbook called Buckeye Cookery. Cornmeal usually serves as an additional stabilizing ingredient, while an acid (buttermilk, vinegar, or lemon juice) is frequently added to punch up the flavor a bit. ginauf/Getty Images, Credit: For an easy supper that you can depend on, we picked out some of our tried-and-true favorites that have gotten us through even the busiest of days. During a time when pecans and other nuts were hard to come by, she made a sugar pie, combining eggs, sugar, flour or cornmeal, butter, and spices or citrus to cut the sweetness. [8], "The Most Iconic Dessert From Every State Gallery", "Food Timeline: history notes-pie & pastry", "Southern Chess Pie: Tips and Variations", "Everything You Need to Know About Classic American Pie", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chess_pie&oldid=999309605, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 9 January 2021, at 14:57. If you're looking for a simple recipe to simplify your weeknight, you've come to the right place--easy dinners are our specialty. Buttermilk would be used in place of regular milk, vinegar would be used when citrus was not around. But there are three main prevailing theories on how chess pies got their name: An Americanization of the English word “cheese”. As a southern classic and pronounced with a drawl, “Chest” became “Chess.” In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar and vanilla together. Custard, essentially a mixture of milk or cream and eggs … This Classic Chess Pie is as delicious (and easy) as it gets. MyRecipes is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Chess pie has only two components: a sweet custard filling and a pastry crust. “My 7-year-old made the filling (with my supervision), and really she didn't need much help at all. As you’ll see from the recipes, they are different one from another. More often, vinegar is used to get that job done. Victor Protasio. There’s a few theories for the origin of the name Chess Pie.The general story says that the name refers to an old pie safe or chest, where you stored pies that didn’t need refrigeration. Mini Chocolate Chess Pies - Rich, Decadent, Truly Delicious Chess pie was one such food item stored in a pie chest and became so popular that it became synonymous with pie chests. MyRecipes may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. It is generally made up of a traditional pie crust while the filling consists of eggs, milk or buttermilk, flour, sugar and often vinegar or lemon. Basically the Chess Pie is a cheese-less cheesecake. But our friends loved it, my daughter was very proud, and it tasted just as a Southern chess pie should (said this Georgia native! It could be a derivation of "cheese pie", the combination of eggs, butter, and sugar making a custardlike filling that is similar in texture to British cheesecakes and lemon curd;[3] it could be named after the town of Chester, England;[4] it could be from a piece of furniture used prior to home refrigeration called a "pie chest", in which pies were stored; or it could be an eggcorn of "It's just pie"/"It's jes' pie". I will never buy another chess pie.”, Credit: [5], The basic chess pie recipe calls for the preparation of a single crust and a filling composed of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. In a 1955 cookbook by Elizabeth Hedgecock Sparks called. Chess pie is a popular dessert in the American South that originated from England. One legend regarding the name “chess” suggests that the word “chess” is actually the word “just,” pronounced with a southern accent. Buttermilk pie, meanwhile, always has buttermilk. A Southern accent might cause someone to mishear “just” pie as “jes,’” or “chess” pie. Standard pie crust: Homemade is best of course but store bought will work fine too to save time. No forks or spoons required, just easy-to-pick-up party foods, so you can clean up in no time. “It’s jes’ pie,” she replied. The most probable explanation is that since the English lemon curd pie filling is very close to lemon chess pie, and they believe the word “chess” is an Americanization of the English word “cheese,” referring to curd pie. Your search ends here. It is generally made up of a traditional pie crust while the filling consists of eggs, milk or buttermilk, flour, sugar and often vinegar or lemon. It may also cause a thin, ugly and nasty tasting crust to form over the top of the pie. In a large bowl whisk together egg yolks, granulated sugar, cornmeal, vanilla extract, milk, melted butter and ground nutmeg until smooth (see recipe below for amounts). Buttermilk and chess pies are alike in a lot of ways: They’re both made with few pantry staples, they both have rich custard fillings, and a pale yellow hue makes them almost identical. According to James Beard's American Cookery (1972), chess pie was brought from England originally and was found in New England as well as Virginia. If I make the coconut one again, I will use unsweetened coconut, since the pie is already very sweet and sweetened flaked coconut made it just shy of cloying. Chess pies show up in kitchens all over the country under different names. Some variations call for the addition of cornmeal as a thickener. According to James Beard's American Cookery (1972), chess pie was brought from England originally and was found in New England as well as Virginia. Due to the high amount of sugar, the cake was most commonly stored in chests at room temperature making it a chest pie. The origin of the name chess pie is unknown, but many theories have been proposed. It’s a mystery. Cornmeal is almost never used in buttermilk pie—the only thickening agent in this dessert is flour. MyRecipes.com is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. How to Make Chess Pie. Chess pie is a rich dessert with an even richer history. Don’t take our word for it, though—here’s what our readers have to say about the super simple recipe: “This pie was delicious and so easy! Begin by preheating the oven to 325-degrees F. Next make the pie filling. I wanted to know why, as time went by, we had not talked more about the chess pie. Fruit and nuts can be added into the pie, and I’ve even had chocolate chess pie and lemon chess pie … Here’s everything you need to know about the super simple sweet treat: Chess pie is about as simple as a dessert can be. It originated from England back in the 1700s and became very popular in the Southern United States in the 1800s. While chess pie can include buttermilk to balance out the sweetness of all that sugar, it doesn’t have to include buttermilk. It is a custard style pie with a crisp browned topping. Chess Pie? Born of convenience rather than extravagance, the most basic chess pie filling consists of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour in a single pastry crust. A recipe similar to chess pie appears in Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery, from the mid-18th century. “I had tried to make a chess pie from another recipe, and the pie was a failure. I mentioned earlier that chess pies actually originated in England. How to make a chess pie… Salted butter: I always thinks salted butter tastes best when browned, plus this pie is rather sweet so the salty butter balances that out. The only tricky part is blind-baking the crust, which requires a little experience (just make sure the aluminum foil is completely pressed against the crust to prevent it shrinking),” according to one 5-star review. There are several theories on the origin of the name. Gooey, buttery, and supremely sweet, the chess pie has been a staple of the Southern dessert table for a couple hundred years. Offers may be subject to change without notice. According to one legend, a cook was asked what she was cooking that smelled so good. Rushing a chess or custard pie by increasing the oven temperature will curdle the eggs, causing the pie to be watery. It seems that nobody can agree on why chess pies are called chess pies. The name “chess pie” is rooted in mystery. 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