Supplemental Information

  1. Introduction
  2. Apples For An Apple Pie
  3. Evolution of the Pie Throughout the Years
  4. Helpful Tools For Baking Pies
  5. Types of Pies
  6. Varieties Of Pie Crusts

Recipes

Pie Recipes

Recipes and Tips for making Pie.

Chess Pie

Chess pie is a particularly sugary dessert characteristic of Southern U.S. cuisine. 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. 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 corn meal. Some recipes also call for corn syrup, which tends to create a more gelatinous consistency. The pie is then baked. The result is very sweet and is often consumed with coffee to offset this.

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 "cut the sweetness". Some variations are called Jeff Davis or Jefferson Davis Pie.

Ingredients:

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  2. In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar and vanilla together. Mix in the eggs, then stir in the cornmeal, evaporated milk and vinegar until smooth.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 40 minutes. Let cool. Cut and top servings with whipped cream.

See Also