Chess pie

Chess pie
A vanilla buttermilk chess pie
Type	Pie
Place of origin	England
Main ingredients	Pie crust, eggs, butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, corn meal
Cookbook:Chess pie  Chess pie

Chess pie is a dessert characteristic of Southern U.S. cuisine.

History

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. The origin of the name chess pie may have come from the term "pie chest", another name for a pie safe.^[1]

Composition

Recipes vary, but are generally similar in that they call for the preparation of a single crust and a filling composed of eggs, butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. What sets chess pie apart from many other custard pies is the addition of cornmeal. Some recipes also call for corn syrup, which tends to create a more gelatinous consistency. The pie is then baked. The finished product is often consumed with coffee.

Similar pies

Chess pie is closely related to vinegar pie, and the two terms are often used interchangeably. Vinegar pie generally adds somewhere between a teaspoonful and tablespoonful of vinegar to the above ingredients to reduce the sweetness. Some variations are called Jeff Davis or Jefferson Davis Pie, and Kentucky pie. Buttermilk pie is similar to both of these, using buttermilk for souring instead of vinegar, but without cornmeal.

Although preparation of a pecan pie is similar (with the obvious addition of pecans), pecan pies usually contain corn syrup.

Lemon chess pie is a form of chess pie made with lemon juice that is popular in the Southern United States.

See also

• List of pies, tarts and flans

References

American pies Sweet Apple crisp Apple pie Bean pie Blackberry pie Blueberry pie Bob Andy pie Buttermilk pie Cherry pie Chess pie Cream pie Derby pie Fried pie Grape pie Key lime pie Lemon ice box pie Maraca pie Mississippi mud pie Pecan pie Pumpkin pie Rhubarb pie Shoofly pie Strawberry rhubarb pie Sweet potato pie Sugar pie Savory Crawfish pie Pot pie Natchitoches meat pie Manufacturers Hostess Kellogg Company Little Debbie Marie Callender's Sara Lee Tasty Baking Company