Custard pies

Three varieties of custard pies are among the most-made in the US: pumpkin, pecan and chess pies. We might make the first two only for holidays, but chess pie is a staple in many repertoires, especially in the South. And why not? It’s simple, it’s delicious and its filling is the lightest of the three in terms of texture. It almost melts in the mouth.

Chess pie is an old pie. Its name is widely believed, but not proven, to be a variation of “cheese” even though it has none. It’s almost certainly an old English pie — some say it originated in Chester, England hence, the name — and in British culinary tradition, eggs and cheese shared terminology. One definition of “cheesecake” in the Oxford English Dictionary is “a cake or tart of light pastry, orginally containing cheese; now filled with a yellow butterlike compound of milk-curds, sugar, and butter, or a preparation of whipped egg and sugar.” And that’s exactly what a chess pie is.

There are variations of chess pie; some use vanilla, some nutmeg, some lemon. They all use sugar, and a lot of it. Brown sugar pies are another variety and an Osgood pie is simply a brown sugar pie with raisins. All this from a humble and economical base recipe.

Like all custard pies, one secret of success is not to overbake it. That means pull it from the oven when the very center, an inch or so, is still jiggly. It’ll firm up as it cools. If you’re used to testing pumpkin pies with a knife in the center, try the jiggle test instead. I’ll bet you’ll have fewer cracks and shrinkage and a much better texture. Another pointer is not to overbeat these pies. Like cheesecakes, if you beat too much air into them they’ll rise and fall like a souffle. A wooden spoon or a spatula is the ideal tool.

This was one of my father’s favorites and it’s as good today as it was when he was young. I’ve only clarified the ingredients and changed the directions, which originally were only two short sentences. Like many of our ancestors, my grandmother assumed the cook knew how to bake and saw little need to explain the method.

Ella’s Family Chess Pie

1 9″ pie crust, unbaked (I used this recipe)
1 1/2 cups/3.5 oz sugar
3 TB all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp fresh-ground nutmeg
1/2 cup/4 oz butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs
1 cup/4oz buttermilk
juice and grated zest of 1 large lemon (about 2 TB juice)

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F/205C/Gas mark 6.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, flour and nutmeg. Add the melted butter, beat until creamy (it will look like creamed butter and sugar). Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add the buttermilk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir well until smooth and blended.

Pour into pie shell. Bake for 10 minutes at 400, then lower the temperature to 325F/165C/Gas 3 and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes or so, until golden brown and all but the center is set. One inch or so at the very center will still be jiggly. I know the time is not very precise but this seems to bake faster in a gas oven. Your nose and eyes will guide you.

Let cool completely on a rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

Serves 8

Tagged as: desserts