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Chess Pie
Learn how to make old-fashioned chess pie, a Southern classic sometimes called “cheese pie,” with this easy recipe spiked with bright lemon flavor.
👥 9 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 1h🔥 Cook: 10 min👤 Virginia Willis📖 epicurious
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●oven
- ●pan
- ●baking sheet
- ●bowl
- ●whisk
- ●knife
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Place rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 425°. Roll out 1 disk Our Favorite Pie Crust, chilled, on a lightly floured surface and transfer to 9" pie dish. Trim and crimp edges as desired and prick the bottom of unbaked pie crust several times with the tines of a fork to prevent puffing. Place pie shell in the freezer for ⏱️ 15 minutes.
disk Our Favorite Pie Crust, chilled1
2
Cut a square of parchment paper slightly larger than your pie pan. Crumple the paper, then smooth it out and fit it into the chilled pie shell. Fill the lined shell with pie weights or dried beans (they should fill the dish). Set on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil (this keeps any drips from smoking up your oven and makes things easier to maneuver). Bake until edges are a light golden brown and bottom is opaque (carefully lift parchment to check), 20–⏱️ 25 minutes. (If you notice the crust sticking to the parchment, set it back down and return the crust to the oven for another ⏱️ 5 minutes; when set, the parchment should pull away with ease.) Remove from oven and carefully lift out pie weights. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
3
Meanwhile, whisk 4 large eggs, room temperature, in a large bowl until smooth. Add 1½ cups (300 g) sugar, 1 Tbsp. white or yellow cornmeal, 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, and ¼ tsp. fine sea salt and whisk to combine. Add ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled, ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature, finely grated zest of 1 lemon, juice of ½ lemon (about 1½ Tbsp.), and 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine. Pour into warm pie shell.
large eggs, room temperature4½ cups (300 g) sugar1½ cup (1 stick ) unsalted butter, melted, cooled. white or yellow cornmeal1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour1 TbspFinely grated zest of 1 lemonJuice of ½ lemon (about 1½ Tbsp.). pure vanilla extract1 tsp
4
Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 35–⏱️ 40 minutes. (The pie may puff and crackle during baking, which is fine; it will settle as it cools.) Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Editor’s note: This pie first appeared on Epicurious in December 2011. Head this way for our favorite Classic Pecan Pie and more Thanksgiving desserts →
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